Organized crime up in Red Deer

A policing effort underway since 2008 to put organized crime investigative teams in seven Alberta cities is scheduled to be completed by March.

The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams — police who specialize in organized crime files — have teams already set up in Calgary and Edmonton, as well as Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

The last city, Red Deer, will have 15 members who will set up at the RCMP detachment in the central Alberta city by March, if all goes according to plan.

“The focus is organized crime,” said ALERT’s Insp. Dan Konowalchuk. “That can take on many shapes and sizes.”

“The illegal drug trade, it can also mean gun smuggling, human smuggling. If the criminal enterprise is significant enough, it could mean identity theft and frauds,” he said Friday.

“Wherever the organized crime groups are focusing their energies, if it’s a significant enterprise, we want to make sure we’re focusing on that.”

Of the 15-member team, nine are new positions.

The office is currently being set up, and officers who live elsewhere are still in the process of moving to town, he said.

“Hopefully, by March it will be up and running completely,” he said.

Konowalchuk said the plan has been in place since 2008 to put together combined forces special enforcement units in all seven locations.

“Red Deer isn’t last on the pipe for any particular reason, it’s just there’s only so many resources to go around,” he said.

With its location midway between Calgary and Edmonton, Red Deer has been experiencing a growth in organized crime activity.

In July, police there said they believe nine street gangs are active in Red Deer because of its location, money and demographic makeup.

“Organized crime in Red Deer has been growing,” Cpl. Warren Dosko said at the time.

“We know that the location plays a key role of being centrally located between Calgary and Edmonton.

“We know that there’s no specific gang that claims Red Deer as their turf, so that’s why we see more than just one organized crime group in the community.”