The fight against organized crime, extortion and gang activity in Alberta is getting an $8 million boost from the provincial government.
The money, in the form of a one-time grant, will be split between the Edmonton Police Service, Calgary Police Service, Alberta RCMP and the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).
“There is a reason that we call this organized crime. It’s structured, it’s deliberate, it is co-ordinated with illegal and often violent activity carried out systematically by sophisticated networks,” Mike Ellis, Alberta’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, announced during a press conference in Calgary on Thursday.
The boost in funding was announced during a Thursday morning press conference in Calgary.
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“Increasingly, those behind these crimes are operating in the shadows, orchestrating activity online or through a web of faceless criminals preying on vulnerable people.”
In Calgary, for example, since April 2025, CPS has investigated 44 extortion-related incidents, with 19 of them involving shootings at homes, businesses and vehicles. So far, 11 people have been charged.
The Alberta RCMP have also investigated 45 extortion incidents targeting the province’s South Asian community, with a third of them involving violence such as shootings and arson, while another 24 families have been targeted with threatening communications.
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“What we are seeing is part of an evolving trend impacting communities across the country,” said Calgary police Chief Katie McLellan.
“These investigations are complex (and) offenders often operate across jurisdictions, as you have heard, using sophisticated technology and intimidation tactics. The $2.24-million investment (for CPS) will make a real difference. It will support specialized tools, intelligence systems and digital forensic capabilities that strengthen our ability to conduct intelligence-led investigations, track offenders and disrupt organized crime networks.”
“Organized crime is increasingly co-ordinated, technology-enabled and transnational, which makes these investigations more complex and resource-intensive,” said Nicole Chapdelaine, deputy chief with Edmonton Police Service.
Chapdelaine pointed to Project Gaslight, a year-long investigation into violent extortion threats against members of Edmonton’s South Asian community that cost $650,000, as an example of the intensive police work required to help tackle organized crime.
“That investigation led to six arrests, at least 54 charges and involved technology, intelligence and co-ordinated police work to disrupt an organized criminal network. We also sought the extradition of the suspected leader believed to be overseas, highlighting the transnational reach of organized crime and the challenges that creates for local investigations,” Chapdelaine added.
The $8 million in funding will be divided amongst the four police agencies in the following way:
- ALERT will receive $1,505,000
- Alberta RCMP gets $2 million
- Calgary Police Service received $2,240,535
- Edmonton Police Service gets $2,245,550
McLellan also had a message for victims of extortion who may be afraid to contact police for help, calling the experience “absolutely terrifying.”
“We’ve met with those individuals or those families who have been targeted, who have been victims, and we see it in their eyes, we see it in their children, we see it in the partners, we see it in their families,” said McLellan.
“So the message is clear — call us. We are here for you, we have lots of resources to be able to assist you. Please engage us, please don’t be afraid to come forward. We are here to ensure that they are safe and that they will not be subjected to this violence by these individuals.”
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