Pubdate: Fri, 08 Mar 2002
Source: Langley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 BC Newspaper Group and New Media Development
Contact:  http://www.langleytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1230
Author: Natasha Jones

RCMP HEAD URGES GROW-OP BYLAW

The chief of police has asked Langley Township to adopt a bylaw that forces 
landlords to make regular checks of their rented properties for signs of 
illegal drug operations.

Council had held off introducing a bylaw as it gauged the effectiveness of 
a similar bylaw adopted last year by Langley City.

It has been a success, Supt. Cliff MacDonald said in a letter to the 
Township. "I have spoken with our investigators who advise me that they 
have seen some very positive results from the (City's) bylaw," MacDonald said.

"They are seeing the marijuana grows being pushed out of the city, as there 
is a reluctance on the part of any landlord to rent property without doing 
background checks on the individual applying," he added.

He said it is becoming more difficult to obtain rental property that could 
be used for grow operations. "Landlords are obviously concerned that if a 
grow operation is done in their buildings, they will be facing a huge 
repair bill before it can be rented again," the officer stated.

Pot growers generally do not use their own premises for illegal operations 
because they could lose the property under proceeds of crime legislation, 
he said.

MacDonald said he was concerned that sometimes the same rented facility is 
used repeatedly for pot operations, and that both police investigators and 
firefighters are put at risk.

"Over the past year, our members have dealt with a number of situations at 
grow operations that were extremely hazardous because of booby traps, 
dangerous odourless chemicals and outright violence," he said.

MacDonald said that Township fire chief Wayne Markel has expressed grave 
concern about sending firefighters to grow-ops, because they have no way of 
knowing what they face until they go in the door with the intention of 
saving lives.

"If the current situation persists, a firefighter or police officer could 
very easily be killed in a booby trap or suffer exposure to hazardous 
chemicals," MacDonald wrote.

In an interview, Markel said that as the first ones at the scene of a fire, 
firefighters are the first at risk. He said amateur wiring is a major cause 
of fires at marijuana grow operations. Another common cause is the 
chemicals used in clandestine methamphetamine labs.

Meth can easily be produced by homebrew labs using a mix of chemicals. But 
those chemicals are both toxic and lethal, and can be explosive. When an 
explosion occurs, the lab can be destroyed or set on fire, Markel said.

Meth labs range from primitive to sophisticated as the illicit operators 
use every means to conceal their labs, often putting
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager