This content doesn’t present legal advice or a statement of law.
For legal details about civil forfeiture in Alberta, consult the Civil Forfeiture Act.
About civil forfeiture
The Alberta government applies for court orders to freeze and forfeit property, such as cash, vehicles and homes, that, based on a police investigation, appears to be gained from or used to commit crime that:
- is profit-motivated or
- results in serious injury
Police services, the government and the courts all have a role in the civil forfeiture process.
Civil forfeiture takes the profit out of crime and makes crime more difficult by taking away criminals’ tools of the trade, such as:
- vehicles used to deal drugs
- houses used as drug labs
The forfeited cash and the funds generated through the sale of forfeited property can be used by the government to:
- fund grants for community programs to support victims of crime and help prevent crime, including:
- shelters for victims of family violence
- gang-reduction programs for at-risk communities
- support police training and operations
- recover the civil forfeiture program's operating costs
A court hearing is not required if the owner(s) of the property does not oppose civil forfeiture.
The Civil Forfeiture Act outlines the:
- government’s authority to conduct civil forfeiture
- rights of the owner and other people claiming an interest in the property
- role of the Court
Court hearing
When the owner(s) of the property opposes civil forfeiture, then they and Alberta government representatives attend a court hearing.
If the judge finds the property was gained from or used to commit crime, the judge can order that the property be:
- returned to any party claiming an interest in the property who proves they both
- weren’t involved in the crime
- didn’t know their property was gained from or used to commit a crime
- sold, with it being used to pay out innocent creditors
- returned to the original victim(s)
- sold, with it being used to compensate other victims of crime
- forfeited to the Alberta government, with it being used:
- to support crime prevention and victims of crime programs, or
- for other uses permitted by the Civil Forfeiture Act
Grants funded
The Alberta government has given over $11.8 million in grants to community-based programs.
2018-2019
The government gave $2.4 million in grants to these organizations:
| Organization | Project | Total Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Bashaw & District Support Services Association | Rural Community Wellness Project | $140,000 |
| Camrose Open Door Association | Restorative Justice Outreach Program | $50,000 |
| Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre | Family Intervention Program | $150,000 |
|
Edmonton John Howard Society |
Facilitator for Complex Offenders |
$190,000 |
| Enoch Cree Nation | Community Safety Initiative | $50,000 |
| Families Matter Society of Calgary | Fathering for the Future Project | $140,000 |
| Hanna & District Association for Life-Long Learning | Youth Crime Prevention Program | $124,000 |
| Municipality of Jasper – Community & Family Services | Community Team Model Expansion | $100,000 |
| Pathways Community Services Association | Buffalo Program (Indigenous Youth) | $90,000 |
| Reach Edmonton Council | #YEGWeBelong (Youth Anti-Gang Initiative) | $180,000 |
| Rehabilitation and Employment for Developing Independence Enterprises Society | Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Justice Support Program | $150,000 |
| St. Aidan’s House Society | Seniors Matter | $50,000 |
| Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association | Building Capacity in Rural Crime Prevention | $200,000 |
| Calgary John Howard Society | Kisisskstaki Ikamotaan Youth Outreach Program | $199,860 |
| Medicine Hat Public Board of Education | Leadership and Resiliency Program | $130,000 |
| YMCA of Edmonton | Youth Transitions Program | $194,400 |
| Whitefish Lake First Nation | Whitefish Lake Crime Prevention Initiative | $175,000 |
| Youth Restorative Action Project Ltd. | Community Development Initiative | $50,000 |
| Calgary Rural Primary Care Network | Coordinated Community Response to Elder Abuse | $50,000 |
2017-2018
The government gave $2 million in grants to these organizations:
| Organization | Project | Total Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Affinity Mentorship Foundation (AMF) | Affinity 321 | $120,000 |
| Alcove Addiction Recovery for Women | $120,000 | |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Grande Prairie and Area | Community-Based Mentoring Program | $75,000 |
| Boyle Street Community Services (BSCS) | Heavy Users of Service Project | $190,000 |
| Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter Association | Court Support Program | $180,000 |
| Cold Lake Victim Services Society | Victim Services Outreach Services | $90,000 |
| Council for Advancement of African Canadians in Canada (CAACC) | Africa Centre Community Support Program | $190,000 |
| Elizabeth Fry Society of Edmonton | Girls Empowered and Strong Program | $170,000 |
| Fairview and District Women’s Centre Association | Enhanced Rural Outreach Services | $50,000 |
| High Level Native Friendship Centre Society | Reclaiming Our Gifts | $150,000 |
| John Howard Society | Youth Crime Prevention Project | $190,000 |
| Miywasin Friendship Centre (Medicine Hat) | Miywasin Youth Program | $50,000 |
| Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) | Edmonton Native Youth Justice Committee (ENYJC) | $50,000 |
| Northern Alberta Home for Women Society | Aurora Home | $60,000 |
| Safe Haven Women’s Shelter Society | Safe Family Intervention Team Taber (SFITT) | $85,000 |
| Town of Cochrane | Elder Abuse Community Coordinated Response Project | $100,000 |
| Youth Canada Association (YOUCAN) | School Stream Relentless Youth Outreach Program(RYOP) | $90,000 |
2014-2015
The government gave $2.8 million in grants to these organizations:
| Organization | Project | Total funding |
|---|---|---|
| Community Crisis Society – Region 5 | Family Violence Prevention Project | $73,750 |
| High Level Community Policing Society | Domestic Violence Response Unit | $250,000 |
| Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary | Ask Services | $250,000 |
| Siksika Health and Wellness | Siksika Family Violence Response Initiative | $200,000 |
| Maskwacis Victim Services Society | Aboriginal Outreach Specialist | $75,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area | Ethnocultural Mentoring | $150,000 |
| Hull Services | New Roads and SNAP | $150,000 |
| Miywasin Society of Aboriginal Services (Medicine Hat) | Miywasin Youth Development Program | $50,000 |
| Central Alberta Women's Outreach Society | Red Deer Collaborative Program | $100,000 |
| City of Grande Prairie Crime Prevention Department | Grande Prairie Cultural Integration Academy | $250,000 |
| Lethbridge Family Services | Building Bridges: Facilitating Resilience | $175,000 |
| YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre | Development of programs and supporting materials for new YouthLink facility | $500,000 |
| Bissell Centre | Enhanced Supports for Inner City Populations At-Risk of (Re)Victimization | $250,000 |
| GLBT Pride Centre of Edmonton | Queer Youth Mentoring Program | $76,250 |
| REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities | REACH Immigrant and Refugee Initiative – Addressing Family Violence in a Cultural Context | $250,000 |
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