EDMONTON, Alta., — A province‑wide push to track down Alberta’s most harmful offenders has resulted in hundreds of warrants executed and dozens of high‑risk individuals taken into custody, according to a coordinated announcement from Alberta RCMP, Edmonton Police Service, and Alberta Sheriffs.
From April 20-24, the Alberta RCMP’s Community Response Team, along with the Central Alberta District (CAD) Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) and CAD detachments, partnered with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Warrant Apprehension & Diversion Unit (WADU) and the Alberta Sheriffs Fugitive Apprehension Sheriff Support Team (FASST) for a Joint Forces Operation (JFO), targeting the arrest of priority offenders with active warrants.
“Significant harm in our communities is often driven by a small number of priority offenders,” said Superintendent Mike McCauley, Alberta RCMP Crime Reduction Strategy. “By working with our policing partners to identify and prioritize these individuals, we can take coordinated, province-wide action to hold them accountable and work towards our shared goal of a stronger, safer Alberta”
The Alberta RCMP Strategic Analysis and Research Unit applies a matrix that uses the Crime Severity Index scoring on individual offenders’ criminal history to rank them based on overall harm caused in communities across the province. With the support of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, all police forces in Alberta share their crime data with the RCMP, who then translate and disseminate offender rankings to form a clear province-wide priority offender list across jurisdictional borders.
Video courtesy Alberta RCMP
Priority offenders and organized crime networks often commit crime across multiple jurisdictions. JFOs allow the Alberta RCMP and partner agencies to work together, share expertise, and apprehend those causing the most harm to communities, while developing partnerships that continue to be beneficial following each operation.
“This operation demonstrated the power of shared intelligence, resources, and commitment between our respective law enforcement agencies,” said Acting Superintendent Lenore Hladky, Crime Suppression and Community Operations Division. “By working together, we are able to more effectively locate higher risk offenders that travel between our communities, disrupt criminal activity across jurisdictions, and enhance safety for all Albertans.”
This JFO saw 88 priority offenders with active warrants arrested for offences ranging from possession of stolen property to aggravated assault and extortion with a firearm. Combined, the harm caused by these offenders was the same total amount of harm caused by all the crime in a mid-size hub community, like Devon or Morinville, over the course of an 18-month period.
In addition to the weeklong operation, each agency supported a province-wide heightened emphasis on priority offenders between April 7 and May 4. During this period, a total of 2,528 warrants held by the Alberta RCMP, Edmonton Police Service, or the Alberta Sheriffs were executed. This represents 11 per cent of all warrants held across the three agencies.
A number of specialized units supported these efforts, such as the Alberta RCMP’s Community Response Team, Real Time Operations Centre, Air Services, Police Dog Services, and Emergency Response Teams, as well as EPS’s WADU, Detention Management Unit, Tactical Unit, and Air 1. This network of wider resources is directly impacting crime in communities. When comparing the first quarters of 2025 and 2026, property crime offences across RCMP jurisdiction are down ten percent, and criminal code offences have fallen by eight percent. This demonstrates the positive impact coordinated efforts can have on the province.
“This Joint Forces Operation highlights the critical role of collaboration across law enforcement agencies in Alberta. By working together – sharing intelligence, resources, and expertise – we are able to more effectively locate and apprehend prolific offenders who pose the greatest risk to public safety,” said Sergeant James Warawa, FASST, Alberta Sheriffs.
