High risk offenders

A high-risk offender is a person that has been identified as high-risk to commit a violent offence, or an offence against a person. This designation is determined through corrections, police agencies, the crown and mental health professionals. Generally, a significant history of violent crimes leads to an offender being identified as high-risk, but no specific crimes are included or excluded. Extensive background research and assessments are completed to assess the offender’s risk to commit future violence.

The Alberta Solicitor General provides a list of high-risk offenders who may be living in your town or city. You should take all reasonable safety precautions to avoid high-risk offenders, including monitoring your children, ensuring you know who they are associating with, and monitoring their Internet activity. Advise them to report any activity that they are uncomfortable with, even if they have been told to keep it a secret or it is someone they know.

Conditions for release of high-risk offenders

Once a high-risk offender's sentence has been completed, they are no longer kept in custody. At this point, if they have a violent history and have been assessed as a high-risk, conditions may be placed on the offender to attempt to manage risk. A high-risk offender may be ordered not to reside in certain locations that would violate his or her conditions. If he or she is living in an area where he or she is in violation of a court ordered restriction, a criminal charge may be laid. These conditions are monitored by the police in partnership with several government agencies and community support groups and agencies.

A high-risk offender must be crime-free for one year and complete all supervision orders to be removed from the Alberta Government high-risk offender website. The Calgary Police Service may continue to have knowledge of prior high-risk offenders, although no active monitoring is possible given the lack of enforceable conditions.

Public notifications about high-risk offenders

The Calgary Police Service notifies the public about high-risk offenders who are going to be released from a correctional facility into the community. Public notifications are done in the towns or cities that high-risk offenders who meet the criteria will be residing, but specific neighborhoods or addresses are not provided.

Notifications are usually issued by a press release. In most cases, the public notification will also be posted on the high-risk offender listing with a photograph of the offender. Offenders usually remain on the website for a minimum of one year. Only the most serious offenders who are deemed a risk to public safety are listed.

Notifications about sex offenders

The National Sex Offender Registry is a database hosting information on sex offenders in Canada that are under a court order to be registered as a sex offender. This information is not publicly available, although the database is available to police agencies for cases that meet the criteria for searches to be completed.

If a pedophile meets the criteria for a high-risk offender, he or she will be identified in the high-risk offender list. In some cases, there may be a court ordered publication ban limiting the information that can be released to protect the identity of the victim. If the offender is a family member or someone close to the victim where identification of the offender would identify the victim, the offender’s name is not released to protect the victim, not the offender.

Monitoring high-risk offenders

High-risk offenders who are on probation, on conditional release from jail or meet the parameters for the courts to impose a peace bond under section 810 of the criminal code will be supervised. Otherwise, they are not monitored.

How the Calgary Police Service monitors offenders

For offenders supervised by the Calgary Police Service, monitoring may include weekly check-ins, home visits, contact with community supports, collaboration with other police units and contact with numerous social service agencies. The monitoring plan for each offender is based on individual needs and risk factors that must be addressed to manage their risk to the community.

If the court orders electronic monitoring on a probation order, recognizance or peace bond, a high-risk offender is fitted with an electronic monitoring device. This device can be GPS-enabled or proximity-based. GPS devices show the location of the offender and can be monitored through a computer program. Proximity devices send an alarm to a monitoring centre if the offender goes too far from his residence during the hours he or she is to remain there, but the location cannot be tracked.

Reporting a crime

If you witness a high-risk offender committing a criminal offence or engaging in illicit activity, please call 9-1-1 or the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 immediately. If remaining at the scene will put you at risk, go to a location where you will be safe. Advise the police of your location and they can contact you once the situation has been controlled. Do not approach the offender.

If they were not involved in any negative activity, do nothing. Do not approach or confront the offender.