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By rdnewsNOW staff

SCAN Unit

Sheriffs shut down Olds drug house

Oct 7, 2025 | 4:21 PM

Alberta Sheriffs have shut down a problem property where officials say suspected drug activity threatened nearby playgrounds and other community spaces.

The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit of the Alberta Sheriffs obtained a court order against the property owner of 5222 42 Street. Officials say the property will be closed for 90 days, beginning on Oct. 7 at noon and all individuals must vacate the premises, including the property owner.

According to officials, the community safety order, obtained in the Court of King’s Bench, bars all people from the property until the closure period ends on Jan. 5, 2026, and prohibits certain individuals from accessing the property altogether, while the order is in place. The property will be boarded up, fenced and all the locks will be changed. Officials say SCAN members will continue to monitor the property for activity while their investigation remains ongoing. Community safety order conditions remain in effect until Jan. 5, 2028.

“SCAN now adds Olds to the long and growing list of Alberta communities that have benefited from its diligent investigative work,” said Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, in a press release Tuesday. “My thanks to members of the southern SCAN unit and the RCMP for the closure of another disruptive problem property that posed a risk to nearby playgrounds and the surrounding community and threatened public safety. Criminal activity has no home in our province. I encourage all Albertans to report suspicious activity where and when they see it.”

“Close collaboration with local police was essential for a successful investigation of this property and I thank the Olds RCMP for its partnership on this file,” added Brent Pickard, inspector, SCAN. “Residents are relieved to see this property close, putting an end to the illegal activities centred around it. Here and across Alberta, SCAN is dedicated to maintaining the peace and safety of neighbourhoods and communities.”

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“Olds RCMP remains fully committed to building safer communities by working in partnership with our community as well as through investigative and enforcement efforts to achieve this goal,” commented Jamie Day, detachment commander, Olds RCMP. “Olds RCMP would like to thank the Olds RCMP crime reduction member on conducting an excellent investigation and the Alberta Sheriffs SCAN unit for its assistance during this project.”

The Alberta Sheriffs work with other law enforcement agencies to shut down properties being used for illegal activities. Officials note the SCAN unit operates under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, which uses legal sanctions and court orders to hold owners accountable for illegal activity happening on their property.

Since its inception in 2008, officials say Alberta’s SCAN unit has investigated more than 10,000 properties and has issued more than 135 community safety orders. Most complaints are said to be resolved by working with owners to stop the illegal activity on their property.

Alberta government quick facts

• Between February 2022 and May 2025, the RCMP attended the property 65 times for various types of calls for service.
• The RCMP executed three search warrants between January 2024 and April 2025, during which stolen property, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia were recovered.
• SCAN investigators and the RCMP continued to receive complaints of suspected drug and criminal activities at the property throughout the course of their investigation and observed activity consistent with drug dealing.