SCAN closes another house in city for criminal activity
By Lethbridge Herald on October 30, 2025.
Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald
The Alberta Sheriffs closed another problem property in the South side of the city where criminal activity prompted more than 60 calls to police since 2021.
Inspector Brent Pickard with the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit of the Alberta Sheriffs told reporters Wednesday that in June 2023 SCAN received a complaint of suspected drug and criminal activity at 1025 12 Street South.
“Throughout the investigation we received complaints from five different neighbourhood complainants about similar activities like come and go traffic to the property, intoxicated people to and from the property,” said Pickard. “Fights, arguments, assault with a weapon, people passed out, and police attendance on the property.”
He said SCAN investigated the property and determined that there was drug and criminal activity occurring, and in November 2024 SCAN served the owner of the property with a SCAN warning letter and told them that under the SCAN legislation they had to take steps to fix the community problems and keep the community safe.
Pickard added that following the service of the SCAN warning letter, SCAN continued to receive complaints of drug and criminal activity at the property.
“In April 2025, Lethbridge Police Service conducted a controlled drug and substances act warrant of the property. In the warrant they were able to determine evidence of drug trafficking, drug possession, stolen property, and numerous weapons,” said Pickard.
He said SCAN continued to investigate the property, continue to determine if there was drug and criminal activity happening and on Oct. 22, they attended Court of King’s Bench and obtained a two-year community safety order on the property, with the closure starting on Oct. 29 at noon.
The property will be closed for 90 days, until Jan. 26, 2026. The property will be boarded up, fenced and all the locks will be changed. SCAN members will continue to monitor the property for activity while their investigation remains ongoing. The community safety order will be in place until Jan. 26, 2028.
“The whole idea of closing the property in the SCAN legislation is to break the cycle of people coming and going from the property,” said Pickard.
He said most of the people attending those properties are not residents and they become accustomed to coming into a property where they know they can engage in criminal activity.
“They know they can consume drugs, bring stolen property to and be part of the drug sub-culture there,” said Pickard.
He said once the properties are shut down SCAN has found that it breaks the cycle, as people would show up and realize the property is boarder up and fenced, so they turn around and leave.
“It doesn’t always stop it immediately, but that is the purpose of the 90-day closure. To give the time for everyone to know the property is closed,” said Pickard.
15-14
The property owner should be billed for the cost of securing his property as there was ample notice of drug activity and it appears the owner did little or nothing to stop it.