Alberta Sheriffs shut down Calgary property known for drug activity, violence

A property in Calgary’s Radisson Heights community rampant with drug activity and violence has been shut down by Alberta Sheriffs, the province said Tuesday.

Alberta Sheriffs Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit obtained a court order against the owner of 3232 Rae Crescent SE, which gave investigators the authority to close the property for 90 days, starting at noon on Tuesday.

The province says the community safety order bars people from entering the property until Jan. 15, 2024.

Crews have put up a fence around the property, boarding up the house and changing the locks to prevent entry during the closure.

According to the province, the SCAN unit began investigating the property in January 2022 in response to multiple complaints from the community.

Investigators were able to confirm complaints about drug activity, observing suspected drug trasactions and a high number of people coming and going from the property.

Calgary police visited the property 37 times from January 2022 to May 2023 for calls about drug use and drug trafficking, disturbances, violence, and threats.

The province says firefighters and paramedics also responded to overdoses at the house in March and May this year.

The property owner was issued a warning letter by SCAN officers in May, but when that failed to yield any improvement, SCAN investigators and an Alberta Justice lawyer got a community safety order on Oct. 3.

In addition to the 90-day closure, the order authorizes investigators to monitor the property for three years, expiring Oct. 3, 2026.

According to the province, SCAN has investigated more than 8,000 properties and issued 100 community safety orders since its inception in 2008.