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Public Knowledge

areas of interest

Organized Crime & Gangs

Did you know organized crime impacts every community in the province? That’s why ALERT has eight regional hub teams dedicated to disrupting and dismantling organized crime to help keep Alberta communities safe.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The scope of human trafficking in Alberta is to a large degree unknown. Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta reports that human trafficking is consistently under-reported.

CHILD EXPLOITATION

ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit investigates the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet while working to reduce harm through public education and prevention. Teaching young people, and their parents, how to safely navigate the Internet is invaluable in protecting them from sexual predators.

PROPERTY CRIMES

Stolen property, vehicle theft, and break and enters are oftentimes connected back to the drug trade with money used to finance addictions. Many criminal organizations incorporate organized theft as part of their operations.

AUTO CRIMES

Organized vehicle theft is a growing problem in Alberta, costing Albertans and insurers an estimated $80 million to replace stolen vehicles. In fact, for every 100,000 people, 545 vehicles are stolen in Alberta (2018)—the highest per capita rate in Canada. This is three times higher than Ontario at 167! Many thefts are crimes of opportunity, driven by drug addiction or need to acquire a vehicle for a criminal act. Still, there are many organized vehicle theft rings operating, participating in re-VINning, cloning, fencing, and exportation.

FIREARMS

Firearms are a serious concern for Canadians as firearm-related crime continues to grow. According to Statistics Canada, firearm-related homicides have increased since 2014.
Gang violence is the primary driver of firearm-related homicides, with just over half of all homicides connected to gang activity.
 

FINANCIAL CRIMES

Did you know organized crime impacts every community in the province? That’s why ALERT has eight regional hub teams dedicated to disrupting and dismantling organized crime to help keep Alberta communities safe.

drugs

ALERT plays a substantial and important role in the co-operative investigation and intervention of drug production and trafficking by organized crime in Alberta. Fentanyl and methamphetamine are two ever-growing concerns that affect communities everywhere in the province. 

ORGANIZED CRIME & GANGS

Did you know organized crime impacts every community in the province? That’s why ALERT has eight regional hub teams dedicated to disrupting and dismantling organized crime to help keep Alberta communities safe.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The scope of human trafficking in Alberta is to a large degree unknown. Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta reports that human trafficking is consistently under-reported.

CHILD EXPLOITATION

ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit investigates the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet while working to reduce harm through public education and prevention. Teaching young people, and their parents, how to safely navigate the Internet is invaluable in protecting them from sexual predators.

PROPERTY CRIMES

Stolen property, vehicle theft, and break and enters are oftentimes connected back to the drug trade with money used to finance addictions. Many criminal organizations incorporate organized theft as part of their operations.

AUTO CRIMES

Organized vehicle theft is a growing problem in Alberta, costing Albertans and insurers an estimated $80 million to replace stolen vehicles. In fact, for every 100,000 people, 545 vehicles are stolen in Alberta (2018)—the highest per capita rate in Canada. This is three times higher than Ontario at 167! Many thefts are crimes of opportunity, driven by drug addiction or need to acquire a vehicle for a criminal act. Still, there are many organized vehicle theft rings operating, participating in re-VINning, cloning, fencing, and exportation.

FIREARMS

Firearms are a serious concern for Canadians as firearm-related crime continues to grow. According to Statistics Canada, firearm-related homicides have increased since 2014. Gang violence is the primary driver of firearm-related homicides, with just over half of all homicides connected to gang activity.

FINANCIAL CRIMES

Financial crime investigations are complex, requiring a significant amount of resources and expertise.

DRUGS

Drug trafficking—it’s still the commodity of choice for organized crime. ALERT has seized more than $600 million worth of harmful drugs since its inception in 2006.

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