Community feels ‘much safer’ after police shut drug den
The shuttering of a drug den in Marlborough Park that was the site of three overdose deaths is a big win for the northeast community, the president of the area’s block watch says.
A four-month investigation by Calgary Police and Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) began in November and resulted in a 90-day closure of the 108 Malvern Court N.E., beginning Friday.
ALERT’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhood (SCAN) team obtained the closure through a court order called a Community Safety Order.
Police have been called to the home 27 times since November, with three of the calls relating to what they suspect were overdose deaths. In December, they found heroin, drug paraphernalia and stolen property during a search.
“Having SCAN come in and shut down houses like this make the whole community feel so much safer,” said Mary Ryan, the president of the Marlborough Park Block Watch.
“Like everywhere in Calgary, we struggle with drug problems in the neighbourhood. We’ve had serious problems here dating all the way back since 2007.”
Community members complained to SCAN about the number of people coming and going from the house on a daily basis, said Insp. Mike Letourneau with SCAN. In addition to being a hub for trafficking, there was also rampant drug activity at the home itself. Glass, garbage and more than 100 used syringes were scattered throughout the home, he said.
“This was a really bad property for the community,” Letourneau said.
The homeowner — who lived in the house — got a warning letter in December after police carried out a search warrant on the home, but the activity actually got worse, he said.
The house is now closed for three months, with the locks changed and windows and doors boarded up. The tenant is also barred from entering the property, which will be fenced in.
A bank is also looking to foreclose on the property, and Letourneau hopes that by the time the 90 days are up, the bank will have its foreclosure and be able to put the property up for sale.