Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen provided updates on two public safety requests from the provincial government, April 28, 2023. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge approved for SCAN Unit, but no more officers for encampments

Apr 28, 2023 | 2:48 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge has been given the thumbs up for one of its major public safety asks, but was denied for another.

Mayor Blaine Hyggen said the Government of Alberta has approved the implementation of a Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) Unit in Lethbridge.

SCAN is a specialized unit of the Alberta Sheriffs that targets problem properties that are being used for illegal activities such as drug trafficking, prostitution, child exploitation, and gang-related crime.

“We know that, most of the time, these folks are preying on the most vulnerable here in our community, and to have a unit right here is of great importance,” said Hyggen.

SCAN Units have successfully closed several homes in Lethbridge in recent years that were being used for criminal activities, but officers have had to be called in from other cities, such as Calgary and Edmonton.

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Hyggen said it will make a big difference to have a unit that is dedicated specifically for Lethbridge.

“Sometimes, it’s tough to have a unit that’s not from the community, and so they’re not hearing the feedback that, maybe, our community has,” said Hyggen. “What this does is, it will have [SCAN Unit officers] on the ground in Lethbridge all the time, so it’s not calling up and getting someone to come down from Calgary or Edmonton or elsewhere.”

Hyggen was not made aware of when the SCAN Unit is expected to begin operations in Lethbridge, nor what levels of resources it is expected to have. LNN has reached out to the provincial government for more details.

In March 2023, the province announced that, as part of the 2023 budget, it would hire another 20 investigators to its SCAN Units.

READ MORE: Province announces funding to tackle rural crime

The other update Hyggen was able to provide was that a request made by the City of Lethbridge from earlier this month has been denied by the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services.

The City had asked for the resources of the Alberta Sheriffs to manage encampments on a six-month trial basis.

Hyggen said the province does not have the adequate resources at this time to deploy sheriffs into the area. He explained that the Alberta government has already hired more sheriffs in the province’s two largest cities and shuffled officers around.

He told media that this announcement was disappointing, especially as more encampments have been set up around the city recently.

“There are encampments that are starting to come up,” said Hyggen. “The weather is beautiful, and as I’m sure we all agree, we absolutely love this and we’re not trucking through the snow, but that also does create a community concern for safety and encampments.”

Hyggen highlighted the importance of continuing to advocate for more housing and social supports.

“We do need to have a place for these folks to be, and so, of course, if there is no place to go, then that’s when we start to see more of the encampments start to pop up,” said Hyggen. “We’re working diligently with our provincial partners, as it is their jurisdiction for housing. We’re working with them to make sure we can find adequate housing and also shelter space.”

As the provincial election is expected to take place about one month from now, Hyggen said advocacy to the Government of Alberta has become increasingly difficult. He explained that it is not clear who will assume control of the legislature, nor who Alberta’s cabinet ministers and MLAs will be.

READ MORE: City of Lethbridge requests support of sheriffs in managing encampments