Part 1 of The Victims Restitution and Compensation Payment Act (the "Act") was proclaimed in the fall of 2008. It enables the provincial government to ask the court for a civil order forfeiting property that has been acquired by illegal means to the Crown (Civil Forfeiture).

Property includes all types of assets, such as real estate, cars, and cash. Illegal acts are not limited to, nor require Criminal Code convictions. The government only has to prove, based on a balance of probabilities, that the property was acquired by illegal means.

This initiative is in keeping with the recommendations made by the Alberta Task Force on Crime Reduction and Safe Communities in their report "Keeping Communities Safe". This report identified 10 priority recommendations, one of which was:

Develop, enact and enforce legislation allowing the province to seize money and property gained through the proceeds of crime and use those resources to fund victim compensation, crime prevention and crime remediation programs.

The Mission of the Civil Forfeiture Office (CFO) is:

To promote safer communities in Alberta by seizing money and property gained through the proceeds of crime and using those resources to fund victim compensation, crime prevention and crime remediation programs.