Marijuana grow operations are time bombs that could lead to a repeat of a devastating fire that left several families homeless and a Calgary man facing a multitude of arson charges, says an officer with the arson unit. With light bulbs that should be used on sports fields and hard cords carrying so much electricity they are soft to the touch, marijuana grow operations are a huge safety concern, Det. Scott Sampson said Thursday. Police believe it was any one of several grossly negligent electrical installations in a grow op that triggered a massive blaze in Citadel in December. [continues 412 words]
Three children have been apprehended after a routine checkstop on the Trans-Canada Highway led police to discover seven kilograms of fresh marijuana in an SUV. The children--aged one, five and six--were in a Dodge Durango that was reeking of pot, police said. The smell was strong enough to prompt an officer to search the vehicle as it was stopped near Lake Louise on Tuesday. Cochrane RCMP Sgt. Dave Hardy said the odour was probably stronger because the marijuana was not dried. [continues 267 words]
Shooting Victim Was In City For A Year The death of a B. C. gangster in Calgary on Sunday morning highlights the fluid nature of criminal groups across provinces and the country. While it remains unclear what motivated the shooting death of David Tajali, the fact he was once involved in a feud between rival gangs of Iranian origin in B. C.'s Lower Mainland, and had ties with another gang with Calgary affiliations, is one more example of the interprovincial links between organized crime groups. [continues 550 words]
12 Calgarians, Two B.C. Residents Facing Charges A criminal organization that used hidden compartments in vehicles to funnel cocaine into the city has taken a hit, police say, after a year-long investigation led to charges against 12 Calgarians. In all, police seized 80 kilograms of powder cocaine worth $8 million on the street -- the largest seizure in Alberta's history. They also confiscated four handguns, a rifle, body armour and$330,000 in cash as part of the interprovincial investigation. [continues 437 words]
Worth $8-Million CALGARY (CNS) - A criminal organization that used hidden compartments in vehicles to funnel cocaine into the city has taken a hit after a year-long police investigation led to charges against 12 Calgarians and two British Columbians. Police seized 80 kilograms of powder cocaine worth $8-million on the street -- the largest seizure in Alberta's history. They also seized four handguns, a rifle, body armour and $330,000 in cash as part of the inter-provincial investigation. [continues 560 words]
More than half a million dollars worth of vehicles and property have been seized by the government since it amended victims' restitution legislation two months ago, but it is still up to the courts to determine if the property will be sold. Since the legislation was en-acted in mid-December, Justice Minister Alison Redford said police officers across the province have applied to seize instruments of crime. Seven vehicles, including one used in an attempt to run down a police officer, and a property near Wetaskiwin that housed a marijuana grow op, have been seized in the past two months, since the government unanimously voted to change the Victims Restitution and Compensation Payment Act. [continues 96 words]
The provincial NDP's children and youth services critic is calling for an investigation into an addictions recovery centre in Calgary following reports some teens were victims of abuse. Edmonton-Strathcona MLA Rachel Notley made the call for the investigation following question period Tuesday, where the issue was raised. Liberal MLA Harry Chase initially called on the government to explain how the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre is licensed and monitored. Children's Minister Janis Tarchuk said she was concerned about the allegations, but her ministry is not responsible for the treatment centre. [continues 258 words]
Police Plan To Destroy Equipment Calgary police are taking steps to get rid of eight years' worth of seized marijuana grow operation equipment they have been paying to store in an Edmonton warehouse -- a move that could have a ripple effect for police services across the country. "There's no reason to keep it," Sgt. Ron Ternes said of the hundreds of crates of equipment. "Why are we holding all this stuff?" The Edmonton warehouse is being used to store at least 630 crates -- each about three metres by two metres. [continues 560 words]
Gangs Growing In Canada Organized crime and gangs involved in the drug trade are flourishing in Canada, with nearly 150 new groups added to the national list of about 800, according to a new report compiled by Canada's law enforcement agencies. The report was unveiled in Calgary on Friday, just hours after a man was gunned down outside a crowded northeast movie theatre, in what police described as a targeted shooting. It also comes on the heels of a spate of violence in this city -- including the recent killing of a woman in a seemingly random series of stabbings that one international expert said had all the markings of a gang initiation. [continues 488 words]
$1 Million Worth Of Cocaine Sold Each Month In 'Hat Gangs and organized crime groups continue to feed drug problems in communities across southern Alberta -- with at least one city dealing with millions of dollars of cocaine being sold monthly -- says a report on organized and serious crime in the province. But city officials and police are working to fight the problem. According to the Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta's annual report, Medicine Hat, Brooks and Lethbridge are among a number of communities dealing with several groups trafficking illegal drugs, particularly cocaine. [continues 332 words]
Guardian Group Puts Trainees Through Paces A thin red line wound its way through the seedier edges of downtown Saturday as newly minted members of the Guardian Angels did one last training patrol in advance of their graduation today. With their trademark red berets on and Angels founder and president Curtis Sliwa at the helm, the group of seven graduates -- and one Angels member formerly of Toronto -- tested the skills they have learned over the last several months of training. Scott Sonne, a member of the Toronto chapter before moving to Calgary in 1990, said crime in the city is escalating. [continues 398 words]
Two Ontario men are facing drug charges after Cochrane RCMP found marijuana worth close to $1 million during a vehicle stop early Sunday morning. This is the second time in the past three months that RCMP have made a major bust along that stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway. "It's the quickest way for traffic to make their way from one major centre to another," said RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb. "There's a bit of luck involved to apprehend these guys. Some weeks we'll catch two or three loads, and other times we won't catch anyone for a month." [continues 302 words]
Police Blame Shootings On Turf War Over Crack Disputes between organized crime groups from British Columbia staking their claim in the drug trade are behind a flurry of shootings in Calgary. Two of the four shootings in the past couple of weeks involved criminal groups from B.C., police said Wednesday. "Ultimately, they're coming here to test the water," said Calgary police Insp. Ed Yeomans. Insp. Shaun Gissing of the organized crime operations centre said crack cocaine -- with its high profits -- is likely behind the spate of shootings as organized crime groups compete to carve out their place in the market. [continues 691 words]
Alberta may look at revoking drinking licences from bars where drugs are sold as a way of combating violence, the province's top cop suggested Friday. The spate of shootings and stabbings in Calgary nightclubs in the last two years are often connected to the drug trade, Harvey Cenaiko said from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in St. John's, N.L. "The trafficking of narcotics should not and cannot be condoned within a licensed establishment," he said. His comments came after the release of a 76-page report Wednesday by the provincial government, which offered up many recommendations for dealing with bar violence, including raising the legal drinking age and staggering closing times. [continues 253 words]
Armed with little more than red berets and a drive to cut down street crime, a local chapter of Guardian Angels will be on Calgary streets by November. The interview process is underway, but there is still first aid and self-defence training to be done before the six-member patrols can begin walking the beat, said the organization's Canadian director, Lou Hoffer. When Angels founder Curtis Sliwa arrived in Calgary in May, he said he expected to have his red berets on the streets by August. [continues 520 words]
An apparent escalation of activity by the Hells Angels in Brooks is raising concerns for the city's mayor. Mayor Don Weisbeck said about 40 members of the Hells Angels came into the city on June 2 and spent several hours that day and the next at a local hotel having meetings. Weisbeck said the Hells Angels have had a presence in Brooks for several years, but having them come in full colours raises the concern they are bringing a different level of activity to the community. [continues 198 words]
East-Side Police Team Shuts Down Crack Houses A year ago, some 60 crack houses riddled neighbourhoods in the city's southeast. Prostitutes hung out on street corners plying their trade. And residents felt beaten down by the criminals breaking into their shops and homes looking for ways to pay for their drug habits. "It was like bailing out a boat with a big hole in it," Lesli Lancaster, president of the Forest Lawn Community Association, said of past crime-fighting efforts. [continues 537 words]
Youth battling drug addictions can now turn to a residential treatment program rather than outpatient counselling as the provincial government has announced funding for 12 treatment beds in southern Alberta. The $4.2 million for the youth detox and residential treatment program offers a total of 24 beds -- 12 in the Calgary area and 12 in Edmonton, Calgary Lougheed MLA Dave Rodney said Thursday. The economic boom that has brought more people to Alberta and put more money in their pockets has contributed to the drug addiction problem, Rodney said. [continues 154 words]
Eradicating family violence in the province will require increased focus on drug use and its ripple effect on abusers and the abused, Premier Ralph Klein said Sunday. Klein said Alberta has a vision for a violence-free province where women and children can feel safe and protected. "All children in this world should feel safe at home in their beds, whether they live in South Africa or Canada. And every woman should be confident in standing up to her partner," he said. [continues 255 words]
City aldermen want to look to other cities for creative solutions in combatting the escalating problems of crime, drugs, homelessness and prostitution throughout Calgary. Ald. Craig Burrows and Ald. Druh Farrell will put forward a joint motion at Monday's council meeting requesting administration make a report looking at what other municipalities have done to deal with these problems and others, including loitering, fighting, panhandling and littering. Burrows said the plan is to look to cities such as Vancouver that have adopted aggressive approaches to similar problems and examine the possibility of having a multi-tiered approach in Calgary that would utilize city police, peace officers and bylaw officers. [continues 330 words]
