(rdnewsNOW)

By Sheldon Spackman

Community Safety Order

Sheriffs shut down Red Deer drug house

Mar 18, 2022 | 4:15 PM

An Alberta Sheriffs investigation has put a stop to drug activity that was terrorizing a residential neighbourhood in Red Deer.

The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit of the Alberta Sheriffs obtained a court order that took effect on Mar. 18, closing the property at 5110 44 Avenue (Woodlea) in Red Deer for 90 days.

The community safety order, obtained in Court of Queen’s Bench, bars people from the property until the closure period ends on June 16. Crews put up a fence around the property, boarded up the house and changed the locks to prevent unauthorized access before that date.

“Law-abiding Albertans shouldn’t have to fear for their safety in their homes and in their neighbourhoods. SCAN investigations give law enforcement another tool to combat crime by taking legal action that targets properties used for illegal activities and holds owners responsible for what happens there. I want to thank the Alberta Sheriffs for their work to help people in this community reclaim a sense of safety and security,” said Tyler Shandro, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General.

The Alberta Sheriffs work with other law enforcement agencies to shut down properties being used for illegal activities. The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, gives sheriffs the authority to target problem properties through civil enforcement.

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Inspector Mike Letourneau of the Alberta Sheriffs SCAN unit, says the residence quickly became a magnet for violence and drug activity following the home owner’s passing in May 2020, which saw the owner’s daughter and her boyfriend continue living there.

“It was essentially a safe haven for people with very long criminal histories to come and deal drugs, and different violence acts that complainants had observed,” he explained. “There were multiple neighbours in this community as you can well imagine that contacted SCAN to say that there is drug activity occurring at this property and quite frankly, it didn’t take long to see that drug activity. At times it was so busy, complainants were seeing upwards of 20 people a day in and out of this property at all hours of the day and night.”

“Complainants were finding drug paraphernalia in their yards, observing machete-wielding people in the backyards, observing BB guns being shot off in different directions,” added Letourneau. “Some neighbours reported waking up to gunshots. So the level of violence and just the social disorder was terrible for this community.”

Inspector Mike Letourneau, Alberta Sheriffs SCAN Unit. (rdnewsNOW)

Francois Nadeau, Crime Prevention Specialist with the RCMP in Red Deer, acknowledges local Mounties received about 50 calls for service at the residence in 2021, in addition to 13 more in 2022.

“It has been of great concern to us and we’ve noticed a number of different types of calls for service. Anywhere from suspicious activity, to drugs on the property, to stolen vehicles recovered here and that led us to notify SCAN,” shared Nadeau. “So we’ve been working to close it down and we’ve been supplying SCAN with as much information as we can to facilitate their operations. As a joint partnership, this is a really key part of our efforts to prevent crime.”

Francois Nadeau, Crime Prevention Specialist, Red Deer RCMP. (rdnewsNOW)

Letourneau says the property will eventually be sold by the executrix, noting the former occupants, however, will not have access to it.

“This SCAN legislation empowers the community to take their community back, and that’s exactly what they did here today,” stated Letourneau.

Since its inception in 2008, Alberta’s SCAN unit has investigated nearly 7,000 problem properties and issued nearly 100 community safety orders. Officials say the majority of complaints are resolved by working with property owners to keep criminal activity out of the community.