Sheriffs close Lethbridge drug house
September 03, 2025 Media inquiries
The Alberta Sheriffs have shut down a problem property in Lethbridge where complaints of illegal activity prompted more than 50 police visits since 2024.
The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit of the Alberta Sheriffs obtained a court order against the property owner of 1212 10 Avenue North. The property will be closed for 90 days, beginning on Sept. 3 at noon. All individuals must vacate the premises, including the property owner.
The community safety order, obtained in the Court of King’s Bench, bars all people from the property until the closure period ends on Dec. 2. 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. Community safety order conditions remain in effect until Dec. 2, 2027.
“SCAN continues to make a difference throughout the province by helping restore peace of mind and security for the residents of a suffering Alberta community. I want to thank members of the southern SCAN unit and the Lethbridge Police Service for its work in shutting down a long-standing problem property that was a source of chaos and disorder in this Lethbridge neighbourhood. Alberta will never be a haven for criminal activity. I encourage all Albertans to be vigilant and report suspicious activity.”
Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services
“Close collaboration with the Lethbridge Police Service is foundational to SCAN’s track record of success in the community over the last several years. Working with local police, we’re helping make a difference in communities here and across Alberta, and remain dedicated to protecting the peace and safety residents deserve.”
Michael Dirkson, inspector, SCAN
“The closure of this problem property reflects the impact that SCAN and the Lethbridge Police Service can achieve together when we act against criminal activity. Our partnership is crucial in restoring peace and order to city neighbourhoods and we remain steadfast in our commitment to provide a safer community for all.”
Shahin Mehdizadeh, chief, Lethbridge Police Service
The Alberta Sheriffs work with other law enforcement agencies to shut down properties being used for illegal activities. The SCAN unit operates under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, which uses legal sanctions and court orders to hold owners accountable for illegal activity happening on their property.
Since its inception in 2008, Alberta’s SCAN unit has investigated more than 10,000 properties and has issued more than 135 community safety orders. Most complaints are resolved by working with owners to stop the illegal activity on their property.
Quick facts
- Between January 2024 and May 2025, the Lethbridge Police Service attended the property 55 times for various types of calls for service including assaults, disturbances and suspected drug overdoses.
- Throughout the same period, SCAN investigators observed activity consistent with drug dealing at the property. Complainants also found multiple used syringes in the alley behind the property.
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