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DUST Cleaning Up Alberta

DUST Cleaning Up Alberta

In its fight against serious and organized crime in Alberta, ALERT prides itself on employing some of the most sophisticated law enforcement resources. But one of those resources is one that the public doesn’t often hear about.

Members of ALERT’s Drug Undercover Street Team (DUST) regularly work in cities and towns all across Alberta to assist local authorities in gathering intelligence on drug trafficking investigations that contribute to overall safer communities. The scale of these investigations may be large or small, but many of them would not be possible without the work DUST does behind the scenes.

“They [DUST] are by far the best resource we’ve ever had. In the general investigation section here, we have nothing but good to say about them,” said Staff Sgt. Brad Lazicki with the Lloydminster RCMP, a detachment whose files DUST has assisted with on numerous occasions. “We’ve always had fantastic results … they’re very valuable to us.”

“By nature of the work the DUST team conduct, they remain out of the limelight. They continue to do their hard and often dangerous work, remaining unsung heroes in the large-scale takedowns involving organized crime that are prosecuted before courts in Alberta on a regular basis,” added Insp. Marc Cochlin, ALERT. “Internally, within the law enforcement community, we understand the value the DUST teams bring to the overall safety to the communities. We thank them and acknowledge their positive impact on behalf of the community as they remain purposely hidden from public praise.”

According to Cochlin, the demand for DUST’s expertise and specialized skills is high and comes from communities across Alberta, big and small, urban and rural.

“The provincial footprint the team services requires substantial logistical planning and a lot of travel hours,” he said. “In the interim, the prioritization of their assist files and investigations becomes more and more important as rural Alberta continues to fight the same crime trends as Alberta’s major urban centres.”

But those long travel hours and plans are worth it to build relationships between local law enforcement agencies and ALERT, which benefit both sides.

“Overall, it has definitely been a positive experience for us here,” said Staff Sgt. Sarah Parke, commander of the RCMP detachment in Bonnyville, one of many communities where DUST has worked over the years.

“Simply put, the detachment on its own doesn’t have the resources or expertise to undertake projects like these, so it means a lot,” she adds.

St. Albert RCMP detachment commander Insp. Pamela Robinson agrees, saying that DUST allows her team to work much more efficiently and not fall behind on other tasks.

“It creates efficiency in our ability to conduct these complex investigations, and decreases our fiscal footprint; we’re not having to spend more manpower trying to conduct these investigations when we can utilize these specialized techniques to identify targets, locations and vehicles,” she said.

The ultimate goal, though — for both local agencies and ALERT — is to enhance the overall safety of the communities they serve. Part of that is the longer sentences that come when drug traffickers are caught in the act.

“Persons charged as a result of DUST projects have been getting significant sentences, ranging from two to four years in custody for the last batch that went through the courts,” Parke said. “We’re really seeing a positive outcome and, as a result, the community is safer.”

Lazicki added that it’s noticeable when DUST teams have paid a visit to Lloydminster.

“When they come down and we end up doing multiple arrests, every time that happens, the watch notices. There’s a significant impact — whether it’s general calls, whether it’s thefts, whether it’s violent crimes, everything seems to bottom out for a while,” he said. “The impact they have is awesome. We love having them here; they’re great people to work with.”

Performance Measures

ALERT 2024-25 | QUARTERLY REPORT

Protecting Kids Online | Internet Child Exploitation

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2024-25

2023-24

2022-23

FILE INTAKES

1,327

1,863

1,392

1,289

5,871

3,815

2,994

SUSPECTS CHARGED

33

41

30

31

135

109

81

CHARGES LAID

164

185

112

116

577

415

351

CHILDREN RESCUED

50

39

48

41

178

203

46

EXHIBITS SEIZED

468

535

427

401

1,831

1,724

1,243

TOTAL PHOTOS/VIDEOS

275,144

725,022

421,057

232,802

1,654,025

2,754,097

2,551,921

Stopping Human Trafficking | HUMAN TRAFFICKING & COUNTER EXPLOITATION

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2024-25

2023-24

2022-23

SUSPECTS CHARGED

19

3

22

11

55

34

30

CHARGES LAID

31

17

38

31

117

231

96

VICTIM INTERVENTIONS

55

46

110

57

268

113

28

VICTIM SUPPORTS

43

59

116

67

285

Intelligence & Expertise | CISA / Training

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2024-25

2023-24

2022-23

INTELLIGENCE REPORTS

303

268

339

343

1,253

1,474

1,560

TRAINING COURSES

12

4

7

7

30

27

36

CANDIDATES TRAINED

215

140

233

364

952

862

933

Disrupt & Dismantle Organized Crime | Combined Special Forces Enforcement

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2024-25

2023-24

2022-23

SUSPECTS CHARGED

24

31

36

32

123

141

197

CHARGES LAID

129

189

143

160

621

800

1,088

FIREARMS SEIZED

48

41

16

20

125

232

102

EST. VALUE OF DRUGS SEIZED

$3,335,838

$1,021,540

$4,476,809

$1,147,381

$9,981,568

$5,334,163

$10,898,296

PROCEEDS OF CRIME SEIZED

$275,466

$283,758

$1,214,496

$121,518

$1,895,238

$632,294

$1,432,847

Q4 Regional ResultS

ARRESTS

CHARGES

FIREARMS

DRUGS

PROCEEDS

CALGARY

4

14

$379,185

$28,455

EDMONTON

3

25

2

$53,235

$15,285

FORT MCMURRAY

2

7

9

$396,730

GRANDE PRAIRIE

6

22

$7,596

LETHBRIDGE

1

8

1

$31,460

$8,670

LLOYDMINSTER

6

29

3

$12,060

$4,978

MEDICINE HAT

7

40

5

$264,805

$35,040

RED DEER

3

15

$2,310

TOTALS

32

160

20

$1,147,381

$121,518

Organized Property Crimes | Auto Crimes

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2024-25

2023-24

2022-23

SUSPECTS CHARGED

11

3

1

15

2

1

CHARGES LAID

78

12

2

92

11

STOLEN VEHICLES

14

7

3

24

45

245

RECOVERED ASSETS

$825,000

$535,000

$250,000

$1,674,250

$3,284,250

$2,741,025

$8,420,500

Firearms investigations | Firearms lab & Gang suPpression teams

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2024-25

2023-24

2022-23

FIREARMS EXAMINATIONS

276

250

286

236

1,048

1,178

EXHIBIT EXAMINATIONS

1,282

1,099

1,383

1,245

5,009

4,715

SERIAL NUMBER RESTORATIONS

18

19

12

18

67

108

IBIS SUBMISSIONS

345

355

405

384

1,489

2,402

GUN SEIZURES

9

11

6

19

45

15

SUSPECTS CHARGED

23

53

43

28

147

26

CHARGES LAID

120

128

112

110

505

185

Since 2022, CISA has been guided by four pillars that focus the effort to promote an integrated, intelligence-led approach to combating organized crime; these are:

  • Building Relationships with Stakeholders;
  • Promote Intel Sharing Across the Province;
  • Being Proactive and Identify Emerging Trends; and
  • Investing in Our People Through Training and Development

 

Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta (CISA) has recently developed an Alberta Firearms Intelligence Centre (AFIC) to equitably expand access to firearms intelligence for all law enforcement agencies within Alberta. AFIC will provide timely, accurate, and actionable intelligence to law enforcement agencies and policy-makers to achieve the shared and collaborative goals of increasing public safety concerning firearm-related crimes.

Protecting Kids Online | Internet Child Exploitation

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

FILE INTAKES

680

872

1,149

1,114

3,815

2,994

2,764

SUSPECTS CHARGED

22

16

34

37

109

81

125

CHARGES LAID

87

45

123

160

415

351

413

CHILDREN RESCUED

26

78

56

43

203

46

100

EXHIBITS SEIZED

335

368

545

476

1,724

1,243

1,845

TOTAL PHOTOS/VIDEOS

262,400

511,133

1,374,310

606,254

2,754,097

2,551,921

13,260,819

Stopping Human Trafficking | HUMAN TRAFFICKING & COUNTER EXPLOITATION

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

13

10

7

4

34

30

76

CHARGES LAID

79

46

87

19

231

96

157

VICTIM INTERVENTIONS

30

29

17

37

113

28

22

Intelligence & Expertise | CISA / Training

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

INTELLIGENCE REPORTS

409

296

327

442

1,474

1,560

1,318

TRAINING COURSES

5

3

8

11

27

36

25

CANDIDATES TRAINED

321

56

135

350

862

933

638

Disrupt & Dismantle Organized Crime | Combined Special Forces Enforcement

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

40

27

42

32

141

197

168

CHARGES LAID

176

156

237

231

800

1,088

820

FIREARMS SEIZED

105

53

26

48

232

102

126

EST. VALUE OF DRUGS SEIZED

$906,814

$553,851

$2,725,161

$1,148,337

$5,334,163

$10,898,269

$334,093,020

PROCEEDS OF CRIME SEIZED

$218,133

$52,970

$130,996

$230,195

$632,294

$1,432,847

$21,740,617

ANNUAL Regional ResultS

ARRESTS

CHARGES

FIREARMS

DRUGS

PROCEEDS

CALGARY

24

110

14

$937,422

$65,881

EDMONTON

17

131

45

$592,839

$272,446

FORT MCMURRAY

8

78

4

$352,942

$144,301

GRANDE PRAIRIE

7

17

13

$192,145

$31,855

LETHBRIDGE

7

29

44

$349,773

$51,245

LLOYDMINSTER

24

93

41

$164,134

$12,504

MEDICINE HAT

37

179

13

$293,108

$7,861

RED DEER

17

163

58

$2,451,800

$46,201

TOTALS

141

800

232

$5,334,163

$632,294

Organized Property Crimes | Auto Crimes

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

1

1

2

1

10

CHARGES LAID

11

47

STOLEN VEHICLES

23

15

1

6

45

245

118

RECOVERED ASSETS

$1,432,000

$941,025

$108,000

$260,000

$2,741025

$8,420,500

$3,919,500

Firearms investigations | Firearms lab & Gang suPpression teams

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

FIREARMS EXAMINATIONS

349

351

243

235

1,178

EXHIBIT EXAMINATIONS

1,316

1,409

891

1,099

4,715

SERIAL NUMBER RESTORATIONS

31

34

19

24

108

IBIS SUBMISSIONS

343

421

1,334

304

2,402

GUN SEIZURES

1

14

15

SUSPECTS CHARGED

4

22

26

CHARGES LAID

41

144

185

Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) involves images and/or videos that depict the sexual abuse of minors – the majority of which involve prepubescent children. Often, CSAM involves explicit and/or extreme sexual assaults against the child victim (Cybertip.ca).

Learn more about Internet Child Exploitation and ALERT’s integrated teams combatting this issue.

Ghost Guns are illegal, privately manufactured firearms or lower receivers. These weapons are often made with 3D-printers, and undermine public safety due to their lack of licensing requirements, serialization and safety controls.

Learn more about Ghost Guns on ALERT’s dedicated Privately Manufactured Firearms info page