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Alberta’s government is investing nearly $8 million to strengthen the fight against organized crime, gang activity and extortion across the province.

The funding aims to support frontline and specialized law enforcement agencies with modern investigative tools and resources designed to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks operating in urban, rural and remote communities throughout Alberta.

According to the province, organized crime continues to pose serious threats to families, businesses and communities through intimidation, violence, extortion and increasingly coordinated criminal activity that often crosses municipal and provincial boundaries.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said the investment will help law enforcement agencies stay ahead of evolving criminal threats.

“This targeted investment gives law enforcement the tools and resources they need to take down criminal networks,” Ellis said. “Organized crime doesn’t stop at city limits, and neither does our work.”

The one-time funding will be distributed among several major law enforcement agencies, including the Edmonton Police Service, Calgary Police Service, Alberta RCMP and Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).

The province says the funding will be used for specialized investigative resources and technology, including surveillance systems, intelligence gathering capabilities and digital forensic equipment to address increasingly complex criminal operations.

Part of the investment will also focus specifically on combating extortion targeting members of Alberta’s South Asian business community in Edmonton and Calgary.

Officials say the funding will help improve coordination between municipal, provincial and federal agencies while strengthening investigative capacity provincewide.

Edmonton Police Service Deputy Chief Nicole Chapdelaine noted that organized crime investigations are becoming more sophisticated and resource-intensive due to the growing use of technology and international criminal connections.

Calgary Police Service Chief Katie McLellan said the investment reflects strong provincial leadership and provides critical tools needed to track offenders, disrupt criminal activity and protect victims.

Alberta RCMP Deputy Commissioner Trevor Daroux added that the funding will strengthen collaboration between agencies and improve the province’s ability to respond to organized crime in a coordinated and effective manner.

ALERT Director of Technology and Investigative Support Blayne Eliuk said extortion-related violence demonstrates how organized crime has evolved beyond traditional borders and requires intelligence-driven enforcement strategies.

The announcement also drew support from local business owners impacted by extortion threats.

Kal Toor, co-owner of Active Homes, said the support from Alberta’s government has helped business owners feel safer and more confident in speaking out against intimidation and criminal activity.

“No business owner or family should ever have to live under the shadow of fear and intimidation,” Toor said.

Funding allocations announced by the province include:

• ALERT: $1.505 million
• Alberta RCMP: $2 million
• Calgary Police Service: $2.24 million
• Edmonton Police Service: $2.25 million

The province says the investment is part of Alberta’s ongoing efforts to strengthen frontline policing, combat organized crime and improve public safety across communities.

Click here to watch the press conference.

Information for this article was sourced from the Government of Alberta website.