NEW LEGISLATION WILL HELP IS TAKE BACK OUR COMMUNITIES

Over the past month, I have had the privilege of assisting our
Government prepare and roll out implementation of a new piece of
legislation called the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act,
otherwise known as SCAN.

SCAN is a program designed to give every Albertan an opportunity to
contribute to crime reduction. It empowers all of us to help take back
our communities from those who would otherwise pedal drugs, enable
prostitution, exploit children, and introduce other criminal
activities into our neighborhoods.

SCAN is by no means a silver bullet. It should be viewed for what it
is. One more tool to be used by law enforcement and each of us in our
goal to make our neighbourhoods safer and more secure.

The SCAN program works as follows. To start off, there will be 2 teams
of 7 sheriffs and investigators - one located in Calgary, the other in
Edmonton. We will expand to smaller cities and rural areas as the
program progresses. Neighbours or landlords who are concerned that
tenants or residents may be using a property for illegal activities
(such as for drug selling, child exploitation, and/or prostitution,
etc,) can report the problem property by phoning the SCAN unit's
toll-free number at 1-866-960-SCAN (1-866-960-7226) or by filing
online at www.scan.alberta.ca. All reports will be kept confidential
so as to protect the name and information of the informant.

Upon receiving a report of the problem property, the SCAN unit will
begin an investigation. Investigators will first meet with the
property owner to try and solve the problem, or, if circumstances
warrant, send a warning letter to the property owner, landlord, or the
person who lives at the property. If that fails to shut down the
illegal activity, the SCAN team will apply to a Court for a newly
created "Community Safety Order". This court order can close the
property (or prohibit certain individuals from entering the property)
for a period of up to 90 days. Of course, any criminal activity
uncovered when dealing with these properties will be turned over to
the police for further investigation or charges.

One of the most frustrating problems for police and community members,
is that even when a person is charged with a criminal offense, the
thug is often released on bail and continues his or her illegal
activity while awaiting trial. And even if, after many months, that
individual is put behind bars, other criminal elements move into the
same location to takeover the illegal business. The SCAN legislation
addresses this by targeting the properties being used for illegal
purposes, rather than the criminals themselves (as you know the
criminal code is a federal jurisdiction, and Alberta cannot legislate
in that regard). However, being civil legislation, rather than
criminal law, also has its benefits. Because SCAN is civil
legislation, the test in court is "balance of probabilities" as
opposed to criminal law, in which the test is "beyond a reasonable
doubt." This makes it easier and quicker for law enforcement to shut
the property down, regardless of how any related criminal proceedings
may fare.

Again, SCAN is not a panacea. However, similar legislation has been
proven effective in other jurisdictions, and I am confident that it
will have similar results here. It is time for each us to do our part
in making our communities more safe. SCAN is a new and innovative tool
we can use to accomplish just that.