Most everyone will agree that the drug trade creates problems in neighbourhoods. Where drugs are trafficked, other offences, including violent crimes, tend to rise. Because of this, police across Alberta and other provinces are zealously focusing on reducing drug crimes by targeting those whom they suspect are involved in the trade of illegal substances. After an arrest for drug offences, defendants may face a complex criminal law process.

Alberta police have a mission to put a stop to drug trafficking and the crime that often follows it. To this end, they have formed an agency called Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team, which unites police from surrounding units, including Edmonton police and RCMP. Investigations into organized crime and other matters of criminal law may take weeks or longer, and police may focus on subjects until they have cause to apprehend a suspect. A recent ALERT investigation resulted in three arrests.

Law enforcement relies on the public to provide information to help them solve crimes. This may be especially true in more rural areas where frequent police patrol is not always possible. However, while it is beneficial when citizens play a role in preventing criminal activity and bringing offenders to justice, those accused of crimes should know that eyewitness accounts and descriptions are not always reliable in a court of criminal law.

Gun storage is an important part of firearm ownership. There are specific rules set out by the federal Firearms Act and parts of the Criminal Code of Canada. They are in place to keep people safe, and to prevent firearm access to children, minors or unauthorized adults.

You may have heard the phrase “you have the right to remain silent” on television. This statement is part of what is commonly known as Miranda rights, or your legal rights once you have been arrested or detained by police. Miranda rights only apply in the United States.