New deputy police chief sworn in

By Lethbridge Herald on March 8, 2022.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh provides Deputy Chief Gerald Grobmeier with his new batch during his swearing-in ceremony on Monday at the Lethbridge Police Station.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman LETHBRIDGE HERALD apulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The Lethbridge Police Service officially welcomed new Deputy Chief Gerald Grobmeier during a swearing-in ceremony Monday at the Lethbridge Police Station. 

Incoming Deputy Chief Grobmeier was selected in November 2021 following a national search conducted by the Lethbridge Police Service, in partnership with the Lethbridge Police Commission.

Grobmeier joins the LPS after 28 years of national and international service with the RCMP, most recently as the superintendent in charge of the Red Deer Detachment where he led a team of 174 police officers and 86 municipal employees. 

Multiple members of the LPS including civilian employees, four veterans, a few members of the Police Commission and Grobmeier’s family were in attendance during the swearing-in ceremony, to which Grobmeier said was a surprise as he was not expecting such a big crowd. 

“Absolutely overwhelming, when I was told about the swearing in ceremony, I really thought it would be a couple of people from the police commission, the dhief and the inspectors but really that was about it, to see this many people from the community was overwhelming and took me back a bit,” said Grobmeier.  

Grobmeier is an accomplished police leader with nearly three decades of operational and administrative experience and a proven track record of innovation in crime prevention and reduction strategies. 

“There was an opportunity that came out from here, personally knowing chief Mehdizadeh it is also an added bonus to that, to have a working experience with him from the past and it just felt like it was the right time, in the right place,” said Grobmeier. 

During Chief Mehdizadeh’s previous career with the RCMP he and Grobmeier worked together and their familiarity is expected to help expedite the transition.

“We don’t have to go through a honeymoon phase anymore, we already get into a marriage phase if you wanna call it that, so that’s the only difference,” said Mehdizadeh.

He said that knowing him from the past definitely helps but it is time to look into the future and he looks forward to working with him to help the department to continue moving forward.  

“Looking at how we can develop this organization and keep progressing…and most importantly serve the community,” said Mehdizadeh. 

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