Pubdate: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc Contact: http://www.mrtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372 Author: Nicholas Riley COUNCIL WANTS TO BILL AFTER DRUG BUSTS In an effort to cut off the proliferation of grow ops and meth labs in Pitt Meadows, council is considering a bylaw allowing them to send a bill to the owners of the problem properties. "According to the police, illegal activity is increasing in Pitt Meadows and seriously impacts both the safety and integrity of our municipality," reads a staff report submitted to councillors on Tuesday. "These operations not only tax limited resources, but wastes valuable time of firefighters, police officers and municipal staff that could have been used on other proactive initiatives throughout the district." The Pitt Meadows Committee of the Whole voted to give their recommendation to the proposed cost recovery bylaw, which will be forwarded to the April 15 meeting of council for first, second and third reading. The Ridge Meadows RCMP and the Pitt Meadows Fire Department attended 12 grow and controlled substance manufacturing operations within the district during 2001 and 2002. Police currently have 140 tips on about 20 separate addresses in Pitt Meadows. It is estimated by staff that the cost for each grow-op bust, and the subsequent cleanup and investigation, costs about $2,500 per operation. The bylaw aims to recover the full costs associated with either grow ops or methamphetamine labs. Once a property is busted by the RCMP, both the municipal staff and fire department step in to dismantle and deal with the effects of the cleanup. If electrical or gas installations have been modified to accommodate the grow op or meth lab, and hazardous conditions exist, BC Hydro and BC Gas are called in. Pitt staff perform site inspections, take photos and contact property owners, and also provide police with property tax and land title information. Information given to council from Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment officer indicate an enthusiastic support for the project. Police also expressed interest in a similar bylaw for Maple Ridge. RCMP and district staff said the organized crime element responsible for the grow operations use many techniques to result in "no case seizures" which result in no charges. The "innovative" techniques include the use of rental properties, purchasing new properties, using fictitious names and then abandoning the properties after harvesting less than four crops. Last year, Surrey passed a bylaw allowing cost recovery for police, fire and inspection staff , while Vancouver's three-year-old measures include a coordinated enforcement project team for illegal grow operations. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart