Material Type

Photograph

Date Range

1957

Description Level

Item

Physical Description

Black and white photograph

Physical Condition

Good

History Biographical

George Harvey was born in Bristol, England on 21 April 1893. In 1913 Mr. Harvey came to Canada and obtained work with the Canadian Pacific Railway. At the start of World War 1 in 1914, Mr. Harvey joined the 29th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force and served four years in Europe. Discharged from the army in 1919 with the rank of Sergeant. Mr. Harvey joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and advanced to the rank of Corporal. In 1926 he purchased his discharge from the RCMP and joined the newly formed Alberta Provincial Police (APP). After two years service, Mr. Harvey was granted a leave of absence from the APP to work for the Luke S. May private detective agency in Seattle, Washington. Mr. Harvey returned to the APP in 1929 with the rank of Detective Sergeant, until the APP was disbanded in 1932. He then rejoined the RCMP, serving as a staff lecturer at the Police College in Regina before transferring to the Lethbridge sub-division with the rank of Staff Sergeant. On 1 November 1944 George Harvey assumed command of the Lethbridge City Police. The new Chief Constable had a long-standing reputation as a strict disciplinarian and authority on police rules and regulations. The Lethbridge City Police at this time were in a period of difficulty over various allegations of inappropriate conduct. One of Chief Harvey's first actions was to dismiss the entire police force, hiring only two of 14 former members back. In 1945 new uniforms were purchased for the police, and the Chief began a series of training lectures for all members of the force. Chief Harvey also promoted the need for a new police station, which was officially opened on 23 April 1947 on the southwest corner of 5 Avenue and 5 Street South. Over 30 years before Chief Harvey assumed command of the Lethbridge City Police, the city saw the growth of a "red light" district where prostitution, bootlegging and gambling were carried on. The community leaders quietly permitted the "red light" district to exist, preferring control of the area over an attempt to eradicate it. Eventually, the district became such a political and social embarrassment that City Council was forced to take action to close it. Chief Harvey was hired in part to accomplish that task, and by 1952 the "red light" district in Lethbridge was a thing of the past. Chief George Harvey, during his time as Chief Constable, raised the professional standards of the Lethbridge City Police, which grew from 14 members in 1944 to 30 in 1957. During the winter of 1956-1957 Chief Harvey was periodically ill, but would not remain off-duty long enough to recover completely. Chief Harvey finally became so ill that he entered hospital, where he died on 29 March 1957. He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery.

Acquisition Source

City Of Lethbridge Police

Custodial History

1978-02

NANCY DE WIT

Scope and Content

Chief George Harvey's coffin being put into the hearse.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19780171003

Collection

Archive

Less detail