Lethbridge Police Service meet all 159 standards after recent audit

By Lethbridge Herald on February 24, 2026.

Herald Photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman The Lethbridge Police Service was found to be compliant with all 159 Provincial Policing Standards, after an audit was performed in 2025.

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Police Service recently released its Provincial Policing Standards Audit report, where they were fully compliant with all 159 standards. 

Inspector Robin Klassen said all police services across Alberta must go through these audits every 4 years. The audit was completed in 2025. 

Klassen explained that the 159 standards are grouped into five policing priorities, based on what they focus on. 

• Community safety and crime prevention

• Recruitment, retention, and accountability

• Standardized intelligence sharing and data driven policing using predictive analytics

• Equity, diversity, and inclusion 

• Complex issues and social disorder with a recovery-oriented lens. 

“Under the audit, they have to ensure that we are complying with legislated provincial requirements,” said Klassen. 

She said there are different sections the audit focuses on, organizational management, personnel administration, operations, and support services.

“They look at 159 of the standards, they make sure we’re in compliance with them, they do an offsite document review and then they do an on-site visit where they do interviews tours, and some kind of inspection,” said Klassen. 

She said after that they write up a report and determine how LPS did, which returned as LPS being compliant with all 159 standards. 

“This makes us confident in what we’re doing. That we are providing the policing services the community needs and that we’re being professional in what we do,” said Klassen. 

The audit report shares their findings noting that “LPS demonstrated proper performance throughout the period examined in the standards audit. The assignment of administrative responsibilities to a full-time civilian compliance coordinator assisted in a structured, thorough, and communicative process. 

“Having one person in charge of it made a difference, where they can make sure everything is done correctly,” said Klassen. 

She said the audit team found that the Lethbridge Police Services demonstrated compliance with 159 of 159 policing standards and were found to provide adequate, and effective policing for the City of Lethbridge. 

The report shows that LPS Performance was found to be acceptable in quality and quantity across the period examined in the audit. LPS provided adequate policing by assigning resources to perform work in each of the five service categories and balancing the costs of delivering the services with the benefits received. 

It also states that LPS provided effective policing, LPS and its staff frequently engaged with their community, partner organizations, and other police services to provide a safe and secure community in which to live, work and raise families.

“I think it’s important to know that achieving these standards, it is a reflection of the hard work and dedication and commitment of our sworn and civilian employees, not just to the regulatory compliance, but also to providing the highest level of service to our community,” said Klassen. 

The full report can be found at https://www.lethbridgepolice.ca/ in the plans and reports section, under Additional Reports.