Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services. (Government of Alberta)

By rdnewsNOW staff

FASST

Province touting achievements of new Fugitive Apprehension Sheriffs Support Team

Sep 17, 2024 | 4:38 PM

Officials with the provincial government say a new team of Alberta Sheriffs is on the ground to help bring wanted criminals to justice.

The Fugitive Apprehension Sheriffs Support Team (FASST) is described as a $2.6-million provincial government investment aiming to make a significant impact in keeping Albertans safe. According to the government, the team has already removed more than 300 wanted offenders from Alberta streets and communities since becoming operational in February.

“Alberta’s government is committed to doing whatever it can to ensure Albertans are safe and protected in their communities, no matter where they live,” says Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services. “With initiatives like FASST, we’re continuing to find new and innovative ways to support the work of police services and put more boots on the ground across the province by leveraging the expertise and professionalism of the Alberta Sheriffs. Accused criminals must have their day in court – and violent repeat offenders must be held accountable for their crimes and returned to custody when justice demands it.”

Alberta’s government says it created FASST, within the Alberta Sheriffs, to help police services find and arrest high-priority fugitives. In its first seven months of operating, government officials say the team has already executed more than 1,300 warrants. Of the 303 arrests that have been made, more than 260 are said to have been on Tier 1 fugitives, who are considered the most dangerous and prolific offenders in the province.

According to provincial officials, FASST and police services share information and intelligence to determine targets together, with a focus on warrants stemming from violent offences or crimes involving harm to people. The government says Alberta Sheriffs have standard operating procedures in place with partner agencies to ensure local police are aware of FASST operations in their area and available to provide tactical support for high-risk arrests.

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“Every day, dedicated members of the Alberta Sheriffs across the province work to protect Albertans in many ways, like patrolling our highways, conducting surveillance on criminal targets, providing security at courthouses and shuttering problem properties associated with illegal activities,” says Mike Letourneau, superintendent, Alberta Sheriffs. “We are proud to add fugitive apprehension to this list of important tasks and are eager to support our policing partners in our shared mission of keeping Albertans safe.”

“FASST has given us more horsepower to go after our top offenders,” adds Dale McFee, chief, Edmonton Police Service. “Criminals don’t recognize geographic boundaries, but this integration of resources and intelligence helps agencies coordinate investigations and achieve better results. Not just for crime prevention, but also for intervention, to address the underlying issues driving crime.”

“Arresting and charging our most prolific offenders is one of the top priorities for the Alberta RCMP,” states Assistant Commissioner Trevor Daroux, criminal operations officer, Alberta RCMP. “The Alberta Sheriffs play an important role in keeping Albertans safe, and expanding their role to include Fugitive Apprehension Sheriffs Support Team’s will support ongoing crime reduction strategies throughout the province.”

FASST is made up of 14 members, including 12 sheriffs and two supervisors. The team is based in Edmonton and Calgary with seven members in each city, providing support to police services throughout the province.

Government officials note that FASST helps police track and arrest a variety of wanted individuals, including escaped prisoners, suspects who have been charged but not located, sentenced offenders on statutory release, parole or probation who have violated conditions, and people awaiting trial who have violated bail conditions or failed to appear for court.

Meantime, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) is calling on the government to recognize the sheriff’s work by increasing their wages.

“It comes as no surprise that Alberta’s highly qualified and skilled sheriffs are being called upon to perform the important work of keeping our communities safe,” AUPE Vice President Bobby-Joe Borodey says. “What is concerning is the government has made it clear that sheriffs are working in very dangerous situations but there has been no mention of ensuring this increased scope of work is appropriately compensated.”

Sheriffs are already experiencing a huge wage disparity that must be addressed,” adds Borodey. “I look forward to seeing the government’s plan regarding wage increases considering the additional scope of practice, responsibility and added measure of danger.”

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