A new southern Alberta Regional branch of Alberta Sheriffs unit based in Lethbridge will investigate problem properties and potentially seek temporary closure orders, the province announced on Wednesday.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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LETHBRIDGE
Six Alberta sheriffs who focus on problem properties and public safety will service Medicine Hat from a new regional office in Lethbridge, the province announced Wednesday in that city.
The new branch of the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit will cover the two major cities south of Calgary and the region from Vulcan County to the Saskatchewan boundary, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said.
“Today we are taking action in providing law enforcement agencies the necessary tools to combat criminal activity,” said Ellis. “The SCAN units have already proven to be a valuable tool to address crime in southern Alberta.”
Over the past four years, Calgary-based SCAN officers have investigated 360 properties in Lethbridge, representing one-fifth of its caseload, said Ellis, adding that a significant increase in complaints from Medicine Hat and other communities is the reason for the regional office.
Nine closure orders were issued for the Lethbridge area and at least one in Medicine Hat since 2019.
Medicine Hat police chief Al Murphy called the expansion “a welcome addition.”
“We look forward to the positive impact this team will bring, and working collaboratively with them to address community concerns, disrupt illegal activities and protect the safety of our neighbourhoods,” Murphy stated in a release.
The unit investigates suspected drug houses and can petition the courts for temporary closure orders in an attempt to quell drug or other criminal activity.
“Taking legal action against someone’s property and imposing conditions on their use and occupancy is serious business, and doing so, quite rightly, requires Alberta Sheriffs to gather sufficient evidence to convince the court it is absolutely necessary,” said Alberta Sheriffs Deputy Chief Greg Medley.
He said the new location will reduce travel time and speed up investigations, both for its own files and work to advance local police work.
Anyone with concerns about illegal or suspicious properties can find information or file a complain by visiting alberta.ca/report-suspicious-property or by calling 1-866-960-7226.
