New SCAN unit targeting enforcement in southern Alberta

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Vauxhall Advance

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Southern Alberta Newspapers

SCAN is setting up shop in Lethbridge.

The Alberta government announced Nov. 15 the Alberta Sheriffs has created six positions for a Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit to be based out of Lethbridge. 

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said the province is committed to improving public safety in southern Alberta to make sure residents don’t feel unsafe in their own homes. 

“Today we are taking action in providing law enforcement agencies the necessary tools to combat criminal activity. This includes using all means at our disposal to fight crime, which is why the Safer Communities And Neighbourhoods unit is such a valuable asset,” said Ellis. 

He said the SCAN unit is able to hold home owners accountable for illegal activity taking place on their properties. 

“The SCAN units have already proven to be a valuable tool to address crime in southern Alberta. Between 2019 and 2023, the SCAN unit in Calgary investigated 360 properties in Lethbridge, which is about 20 per cent of its caseload during that period,” said Ellis. 

He said that due to a significant increase in complaints from Medicine Hat and other southern Alberta communities which emphasize the need to increase law enforcement in the region, the new SCAN unit based out of Lethbridge was created. 

“This is a new regional team that will cover an area roughly bounded by Vulcan to the north, the Crowsnest Pass to the west, the U.S. border to the south and the provincial boundary with Saskatchewan to the east,” said Ellis.