Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams

Law enforcement organization efforts in Canada

Law enforcement agency

The Honourable Tyler Shandro, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General

Agency executive

Dwayne Lakusta, Chief Executive Officer

Websitewww.alert-ab.ca

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) is an umbrella government agency uniting efforts by multiple Canadian law enforcement organizations. Known by the acronym ALERT, the agency was established in 2006. Its campaigns on behalf of the people of Alberta, as well as Canadians generally, include fighting gang activity, working against drug trafficking, and confronting domestic violence. ALERT currently includes seconded members from:

Alberta Sheriffs Branch
Calgary Police Service
Edmonton Police Service
Lethbridge Police Service
Medicine Hat Police Service
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- K Division: Alberta

In terms of funding, the organization ran an operating budget of over $38 million in 2012 compared to $26.5 million in funding in 2015. However, in 2016 the Government of Alberta increased ALERT's funding by $2.6 million for an operating budget of $29.1 million.^[1] Regular police officers interviewed by publications such as the Edmonton Sun have stated that they view ALERT's efforts as laudatory for "high level" criminal investigations while also expressing frustration at how exactly to divide up limited law enforcement resources.^[2]

References

^ "Government increases funding to fight organized and serious crime - Alberta.ca". www.alberta.ca. April 21, 2016.
^ Dykstra, Matt (November 28, 2015). "Critics warn of potential surge in organized crime amidst Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) funding crunch". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved February 21, 2016.