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Medicine Hat Release: Operation Suppression

Medicine Hat Release: Operation Suppression

Twenty individuals are facing drug related charges and 29 individuals are facing charges in connection to stolen property, following a month-long project focused on applying pressure to street-level drug traffickers in an effort to suppress crime in Medicine Hat.

In response to a concerning trend related to increases in both drug activity and property crimes, the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) Organized Crimes Section (OCS) and Priority Street Crimes Unit (PSCU) joined forces for Operation “Suppression”, with the intent to quell the growing increase of criminality caused by the methamphetamine subculture.

The MHPS OCS is a combined forces special enforcement unit, comprised of MHPS, RCMP and Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) team members working together to investigate, disrupt and dismantle organized and serious crime. In September, the OCS focused on targeting methamphetamine dealers, which resulted in; 20 individuals charged with 65 drug offences, and an estimated $20,000 worth of drugs removed from city streets.

 

For their part of the project, the MHPS Priority Street Crimes Unit (PSCU) focused on property offences, as well as offender accountability, the process by which an offender who is released from the courts on a criminal charge, is held accountable to court ordered conditions. This often entails curfew checks, searches or compliance with other conditions. Throughout the month the MHPS charged 29 individuals with possession of stolen property and 70 individuals with breach of court orders. An estimated total of $10,600 worth of property was recovered.

Another key component of Operation “Suppression” involved engaging the community through public safety messages, advising of the effectiveness of simple prevention activities, including removing keys, securing vehicles and ensuring property stored out of sight, which can have a significant impact on reducing crimes of opportunity. At the conclusion of each week, the MHPS would share with the community the number of vehicles that had been stolen during the previous week.

Throughout the month of September, there was a total of 17 vehicles stolen and four individuals charged in connection with vehicle thefts.

“A multi-pronged approach, targeting issues related to the drug culture is essential,” said MHPS Inspector Brent Secondiak, “as the damage caused by drug abuse and addiction results in wide spread community harm.”

While the month-long project has concluded, the MHPS and ALERT will continue their focus on addressing the increased opioid and methamphetamine use trend. “ALERT is committed to working alongside with Medicine Hat Police to address community concerns related to methamphetamine. This Operation and these arrests should send a strong warning to those that continue to inflict community harm by peddling this drug,” said ALERT Inspector Dave Dubnyk.

As of September 30, 2017 the MHPS has seized 2,009 grams of methamphetamine, which is in excess of the unprecedented amount seized in 2016 (1,474 grams), which was a 400% increase as compared to 2015 (369 grams).

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