INNISFAIL – There was a huge sigh of relief from citizens in a mid-town Innisfail neighbourhood on March 11.
A long suspected drug house at 4127 - 49A Ave. was shut down after Innisfail RCMP members attended the property 53 times for various calls for service between February 2022 to July 2024.
“I’m incredibly relieved. It's a new start for this neighbourhood,” said one smiling neighbour sitting on a porch a few houses away with others. “It used to be a really nice neighbourhood until about four years ago, and hopefully it's going to go on to better things.
“It’s been a good day.”
Shortly before noon on March 11, a crack team from the Alberta Sheriffs’ Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit, assisted by Innisfail RCMP, knocked on the door at 4127 - 49A Ave.
The long criminal party was over.
The SCAN unit served the house owner with a Community Safety Order that bars all people from the property until June 9.
“The neighbours are fed up, the whole community is fed up with the people that live here,” said Innisfail RCMP Staff Sgt, Ian Ihme, whose detachment worked with SCAN over the past two years investigating the nefarious affairs at the house. “In the past 18 months we've arrested this homeowner four different times.
“I think we've done three search warrants at this house, recovered stolen property, drugs, stolen vehicle, all sorts of stuff. Yes, there's been charges,” said Ihme.
“This gentleman was in jail for six months up until a few months ago, when he got released.”
Ihme gave credit to SCAN for its thorough investigation into the affairs at 4127 - 49A Ave., noting its investigators finally put down the ultimate hammer of closing down the house.
He said the takedown of the house did not result in any new Criminal Code charges but it will free multiple neighbours from long-term headaches and anxiety.
“This this is just a different, unique tool the Sheriffs SCAN team has to evict somebody from their house when they just essentially don't stop being a nuisance in the community,” said Ihme, who could not release the man’s identity as no new charges were laid. “When it comes to drug use and stolen property and just all that stuff that kind of degrades a community.”
By early afternoon on March 11, many contractors were at the scene. The house was boarded up. All locks were changed. A fence was installed along the perimeter of the house.
Ihme said the owner of the home is responsible for all lockdown costs, which could come to "thousands" of dollars.
“I would say it's a major win for the community, the people that live around him, and citizens of Innisfail don't deserve to have this man as a neighbour,” said Ihme.
Mike Dirkson, manager for the Alberta Sheriff SCAN units in both Calgary and southern Alberta, said the first complaint of suspicious behaviour at the Innisfail house was received by SCAN in May of 2023.
“The investigation initially took some time, but things started to accelerate in June of 2024 when Innisfail RCMP executed a search warrant at this property,” said Dirkson, adding 4127 - 49A Ave. is “owner occupied” property. “Observations inside the property supported the belief that this property was being used habitually for drug activity in July of 2024.
“In July of 2024 SCAN investigators served a warning letter on the owner of the property,” he said. “It was our hope with that warning letter that we open communication with the owner and try to work with them on solving what's occurring here and try to collaborate with them on what we can do to help stop what's occurring.
“The owner of this property was both unwilling and unable to work with investigators or do anything to stop the activity that was happening here.”
From July 16, 2024, to Nov.14, 2024, complainants contacted the primary investigator more than 60 times about suspected illegal activity occurring at the property.
Dirkson said the investigation continued, as well as the collection of evidence.
In February of 2025 SCAN investigators and a lawyer with Alberta Justice were successful in getting a Community Safety Order at Court of King’s Bench on the property, said Dirkson.
He said the order is in place for the next two years and allows SCAN to close the property for 90 days, the longest allowable under the legislation.
“Our hope with this 90-day closure is it stops that cycle of criminality and drug activity that was occurring here,” said Dirkson. “People know they can come here. They come here often.
“We need to break that cycle and send the message to people that attended this property that it's no longer open and they're not welcome here.”
