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New surveillance teams led by the Alberta Sheriffs working with local police in rural communities

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More boots on the ground to fight rural crime

Rural crime continues to be a top concern among residents and businesses in rural Alberta, which is why Alberta’s government remains committed to addressing it through enhanced surveillance and other crime reduction initiatives. Alberta’s government invested $4.3 million for the Alberta Sheriffs to put more boots on the ground. This investment supported the establishment of two plainclothes teams – one in northern Alberta and one in southern Alberta – to support police in carrying out surveillance on criminal targets in rural areas.

Both teams are now fully staffed and operational, ready to fight crime in rural areas across Alberta. These rural surveillance teams will work to prevent crime, monitor agricultural theft and work in collaboration with local law enforcement to share intelligence and resources to keep Albertans and their property safe and secure.

“Criminals and organized crime are not welcome in Alberta. Full stop. The addition of two new surveillance teams will further support our law enforcement partners in stamping out criminal activity in Alberta’s rural areas. This is about supporting local investigations to address local crime in our smaller communities. Together, both teams will form another key component of Alberta’s efforts to combat crime and ensure Albertans feel safe at home and in their communities, regardless of where they live.”

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

The Alberta Sheriffs have an existing surveillance unit that is part of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) and focused mainly on serious and organized crime investigations. The new surveillance teams will fill a gap by helping rural RCMP detachments with local investigations.

“Through their specialized knowledge, training and experience, Alberta’s new surveillance teams are providing another important mechanism in the fight against crime in Alberta’s rural communities. Working in close collaboration with the RCMP and other policing agencies, their efforts will play a key role in gathering evidence and information that will help disrupt crime throughout the province.”

Mike Letourneau, superintendent, Alberta Sheriffs

“This announcement by the Alberta government and Minister Ellis is a positive step forward for the residents of Alberta, especially in rural areas. Targeting known criminals is a very effective way to reduce the level of crime taking place and will greatly assist the RCMP who have a vast area to police.”

Lance Colby, mayor, Town of Carstairs

“We are happy to hear about increased resources being allocated to assist our communities. Addressing rural crime is one of the top priorities of the Alberta RCMP, and our partners at the Alberta Sheriffs already play a vital role in keeping Albertans safe. The creation of these new surveillance teams will help augment our ongoing crime reduction strategies in Alberta communities, and we look forward to working with them going forward.”

Trevor Daroux, assistant commissioner, criminal operations officer, Alberta RCMP

The new surveillance teams are part of a suite of measures to expand the role of the Alberta Sheriffs and make Alberta communities safer. Other actions include the expansion of the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit – which uses legal sanctions and court orders to target problem properties where illegal activities are taking place – and the expansion of the RAPID Response initiative with funding for the Sheriff Highway Patrol to train and equip members to assist the RCMP with emergencies and high-priority calls.

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This is a news release from the Government of Alberta.

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Alberta

Fentanyl “Superlab dismantled by ALERT near Valleyview

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News release from the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT)

ALERT has located and dismantled an alleged fentanyl superlab that was operating outside of Valleyview, Alta. The superlab is estimated to have regularly produced bulk quantities of fentanyl for years and was a significant source of fentanyl in Alberta and Western Canada.

ALERT, along with the RCMP’s Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Response Team (CLEAR), executed a search warrant at the rural lab location on October 2, 2024. Four days were spent searching the property and dismantling the highly sophisticated lab.

ALERT will provide full details via a news conference on Friday, November 8, 2024.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

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Alberta

Alberta gov’t initiates bill to make sex-ed optional, stop schools from hiding pronoun changes

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From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The Education Amendment Act requires parents to opt in rather than opt out of sex education and mandates that schools seek parental permission to use a different pronoun for their child.

Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) government officially introduced a bill that will change the law so that parents must “opt in rather than opt out” their children into sexual education lessons and also mandate that parental permission is obtained before a student uses a different pronoun.

Late last week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced Bill 27, or the Education Amendment Act, that focuses on teaching and instructional material “that deal primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality.”

The new bill means sexual education classes will not be included in a child’s education, and teachers or school staff will no longer be allowed to conceal whether a student begins to use different pronouns or names.

Once Bill 27 becomes law, schools must notify parents of what is being taught at least “30 days in advance and be given the opportunity to opt in rather than opt out of this instruction,” the government said regarding the bill in a press release.

“This new model would ensure parents are notified in advance and have the information needed to make an informed decision on whether specific topics are appropriate and fit the needs of their child and family,” the government said.

Smith’s government said the change aims to create “transparency in what is being taught in the classroom to ensure parents have the opportunity to identify if there is a particular subject matter they wish to supplement in conversations with their child outside of the classroom.”

Alberta Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides had earlier stated that such a bill would be forthcoming, noting the changes the government is proposing will “keep families informed while navigating complex conversations as well as public health and states of emergency.”

Bill 27 also will empower the education minister to in effect stop the spread of extreme forms of pro-LGBT ideology or anything else to be allowed to be taught in schools via third parties.

The government says the new law will allow the minister to “approve learning and teaching resources and external presenters for topics dealing primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality.”

“This would create greater transparency on what resources are being used to teach sensitive topics, which third-parties are presenting to students, and provide greater assurance that learning and teaching resources are appropriate and relevant to the curriculum,” the government says.

The new law will also mandate that schools notify parents and seek “their consent for a student 15 years old and under if they request that school staff refer to them by a new gender-related preferred name or pronouns at school.”

It would also mandate that schools notify parents of a “16 or 17-year-old student’s request for school staff to refer to them by a new gender-related preferred name or pronouns at school.”

Smith’s announcement regarding pronouns and sex-ed classes comes at the same time she brought forth a law that will ban biological men from competing in women’s sports. It also comes after she introduced a much-anticipated bill banning so-called “top and bottom” surgeries for minors as well as other extreme forms of transgender ideology.

Last weekend, thousands of UCP members gathered for the party’s annual general meeting, where Smith won a 91.5 percent approval rating, indicating there is strong support for her pro-family policies.

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