A north Lethbridge home is boarded up after being ordered closed by the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods unit, May 4 2022. (Photo: LNN)

By Drew Stremick

Residents relieved after known drug house closed by police

May 4, 2022 | 3:14 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB — A house in a north Lethbridge neighbourhood is being closed for 90-days for the second time in less than a year. The house located at 124 19 Street North was closed by the Alberta Sherrifs’ Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit.

The property was first closed after a SCAN investigation in 2021, which resulted in the first 90-day closure. Between October 2019 and February 2021, Lethbridge Police received more than thirty complaints about the home, ranging from acts of violence in and outside the home, to drug transactions occurring at the front door.

Inspector Mike Letourneau with SCAN says it’s disappointing to see the owner of the home allow this to happen for the second time.

“What we have here is a homeowner that’s allowing drug activity to occur in his property. He’s either unwilling or unable to do the right thing at this property,” Letourneau said.

Letourneau says the second community safety order resulted in bigger consequences for the property owner.

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“So what’s different this time around is the bank has gone to a foreclosure on this property,” said Letourneau. “They attended court on April the 21st, and they were successful in obtaining an order so that they could sell the property. So that’s huge.”

Residents in the neighbourhood are happy to hear that the ordeal involving the drug house is almost over. Jennifer Palmer lives nearby, and says it got to the point where she didn’t want her kids to play outside.

“It’s been terrible. It’s come to a point where I’m afraid to let my kids play outside when there’s a lot of traffic come around, because I’m afraid that they’re going to hurt them or do something to them or say something to them. We’ve had them utter threats to my children before,” Palmer said.

Palmer is glad to hear the home has been put into foreclosure and hopes the new owners do something positive with it.

“I hope that now it’s all come to an end, and that we can find or have a good buyer come in and take the property and do something good with it, and either tear it down and and build a new house or use the property as storage for trailers or trucks or equipment or something,” Palmer said.

The 90-day closure will end in August 2022, and the SCAN unit will continue to monitor the property until the community safety order expires on April 26, 2023, or until the property is sold.