A notorious Calgary “drug house” has been boarded up by Calgary Police and Alberta Sheriffs after several complaints were laid about drug activity at the home.
The home had been a “source of ongoing criminal activity for years,” according to the Alberta Sheriffs Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit.
“The community has been dealing with this drug house behind me for several years,” Insp. Mike Letourneau said Tuesday, while standing in front of a fenced-off and boarded-up home at 3043 Doverville Cres. SE.
“The stuff that they’re seeing regularly is in-and-out traffic, drug deals on the front street, needles left in the alley,” he said, adding that more residents in the neighbourhood were aware of the concerns.
Community members complained to the SCAN unit in January 2016. Letourneau said the unit confirmed shortly afterward that drug activity was happening at the home.
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They then obtained a warning letter in March, which was delivered to the home.
The investigation resumed in September after finding that drug activity was still going on, with SCAN noting the activity really started to ramp up in January.
“Throughout this investigation, we had anywhere from 70 to 80 people in and out of this property, which is enormous,” Letourneau said.
“And at least out of that, 46 of those would be confirmed what we call ‘short-meet drug transactions’ — so people come to this property, going through the front door, one minute they’re away and they’re gone with their fists and hands clenched.”
The homeowner and their lawyer went to Queens Bench Court in early May, where Alberta Justice said a change needed to be made, Letourneau said.
A 90-day community safety order was issued for the home, meaning the house would be boarded up and the locks changed.
Conditions were also placed on the homeowner to ensure they could not have any tenants or lease the home for six months. Any drug activity is prohibited, and the homeowner is not permitted to have to have overnight guests at the home for six months.
Calgary police Sgt. Nick Wilsher said officers patrol the area to establish their presence and also build relationships with members of the community.
When police realized there would be a constant cycle of drug-related activity, they decided to partner with the SCAN unit to achieve the closure of the house.
Wilsher said the homeowner hasn’t been arrested or charged because police haven’t able to determine if they’re involved in the criminal acts.
“Initially, in some of these cases, it was people coming to the address that were causing the issue, and so we would deal with that,” he said.
Wilsher said officers will continue to monitor the address and the area.
It’s hoped the 90-day closure of the home will be a wake-up call for the homeowner, so they won’t allow the drug activity to continue.
Both groups also hope it will serve as a warning to those that previously came to the house looking for drugs.
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