Residents in a southeast neighbourhood have complained about one particular property in their community for years and on Tuesday an ALERT team changed the locks and shuttered the windows.

Police have responded to the duplex in the 2000 block of 41 Street S.E. over a dozen times for disturbances since September 2012.

Officers witnessed behaviour that was consistent with drug trafficking and prostitution at the home and made an application for a Community Safety Order to close it.

On Tuesday morning, ALERT’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) team vacated and boarded up the property.

Investigators say the residence has plagued the neighbourhood with drug activity for years.

Joanne Ward has lived near the home for three years and says she knew something was up.

“I knew the police were watching it because they’ve been here many times and that kind of made me feel better,” said Ward. “It’s nice to get them out of the neighbourhood.”

The order allows investigators to close the home for 90 days and the tenant is barred from entering or occupying the property during that time.

Police say closures like this have proven effective in breaking the cycle of problem behavior.

“We’re having a lot of success here in Alberta. We’re up to 17 in the north, for Community Safety Orders and the south is up to 15,” said Mike Letourneau with ALERT. “It’s proving to be extremely effective. This is another tool in conjunction with what the police services all around Alberta do already, it’s just one more tool where we can come in and apply our legislation that’s in place, go directly after the property, let the police services look after the people and we’re getting people, as a result, out of these properties, cleaning up the community and just having great success.”

Albertans who suspect illegal activity is occurring at a property in their neighbourhood can contact SCAN online at www.alert-ab.ca/scan or toll-free at 1-866-960-SCAN (7226).