A north Lethbridge home has been shut down for 90 days after provincial sheriffs and city police teamed up to tackle ongoing drug activity that had residents feeling uneasy. The house at 1226 13 Avenue North was ordered closed by a court on June 30, 2026, and was vacated at noon on July 7.
The Alberta Sheriffs Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods unit started looking into the property in March 2025 after neighbours raised concerns. During their investigation, officers noted a pattern of short-term visitors – the kind often seen with drug dealing. In May 2025, Lethbridge Police Service searched the home, seizing drugs and related items and arresting four people.
Even after a warning was sent to the owner, complaints kept coming. SCAN Inspector Brent Pickard says the community’s willingness to speak up was the key that got the investigation rolling. “This investigation began because community members spoke up about ongoing concerns,” he said.
Mike Ellis, Alberta’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, pointed out that drug activity hurts more than just those involved. “It disrupts entire neighbourhoods and leaves residents feeling unsafe,” he said. “Through the coordinated efforts of Alberta Sheriffs’ SCAN unit and the Lethbridge Police Service, decisive action was taken to address this problem property, helping restore a sense of safety and security for nearby residents.”
The property must stay empty and locked up until October 5, 2026, and conditions set by the court will remain in place until October 5, 2028. The SCAN unit, which works under Alberta’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, uses legal tools like Community Safety Orders to hold property owners accountable for illegal activity on their premises.
This isn’t the first time a north Lethbridge home has been forced to close. In September 2025, a house at 1212 10 Avenue North was closed after police visited 55 times over 17 months for calls that included assaults, disturbances, and suspected overdoses. Lethbridge has faced ongoing challenges with drug crime, with a recent year-long enforcement project downtown leading to over 300 arrests, more than 400 warrants served, and the seizure of over 2,000 doses of deadly drugs.
