Alberta Sheriffs shut down another drug house in Lethbridge, the province announced on Thursday.
The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods unit of the Alberta Sheriffs received a court order to shut down the home at 71 Stafford Road North, which took effect at noon on Thursday.
No entry onto the property is permitted until Feb. 1.
A community safety order granted in Court of Queen’s Bench gave the sheriffs the authority to board the house up, change the locks and put a fence around the property, according to police.
An investigation into the home started in October of last year as SCAN acted on “mounting community complaints” in connection to the the property and “substantiated” drug activity.
“Drug houses are a threat to the safety and well-being of our communities,” said Kaycee Madu, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General in a news release Thursday.
“I want to thank the excellent work of Alberta’s law enforcement agencies for shutting down this drug house. The province’s SCAN unit, in partnership with local police, continues to make neighbourhoods in Lethbridge and across Alberta better, safer places to live.”
Police said drug busts have been made at and around the home, adding even though drug traffickers may set up elsewhere, police activity has made a significant dent in their operations.
“Often times they’ll disperse, but they won’t be as coordinated, they won’t be as organized and it takes a while to go back and find another drug house, get established and start using in it,” said Inspector Mike Letourneau with the Alberta Sheriffs on Thursady during a media availability.
During the course of the SCAN investigation, the province said LPS also dealt with drug activity on the property.
In the first six months of 2020, several LPS traffic stops of individuals leaving the property turned up significant quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and other illegal substances, according to police.
Officers then executed a search warrant at the property on March. 11, and found methamphetamine, fentanyl, pill containers, a weigh scale and other drug paraphernalia.
On July 28, SCAN investigators obtained a community safety order against the property owner, who lived at the residence. The order restricted visitors to the property for 60 days and allowed the owner to remain in the home.
However, despite that step, police saw drug activity still continued at the home.
Police add, SCAN investigators observed more than 150 visits to the property over a four-day period at one point.
“There’s several spin-off investigations that have resulted as people have been here, that have resulted in search warrants in other residences , traffic stops, we’ve had stolen vehicles that have been here that have left,” acting Sgt. Rob Saar of the Crime Suppression Team with the Lethbridge Police Service said.
SCAN investigators then secured a second community safety order on Oct. 23, mandating a 90-day closure. Police say the property remains under supervision until Oct. 14, of next year.
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