Pubdate: Thu, 16 Sep 2004
Source: Sentinel Review (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc.
Contact:  http://woodstocksentinelreview.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2385
Author: Deirdre Healey
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

MONEY NEEDED TO COMBAT DRUG HOUSES

Current Funding Not Enough To Deal With Big-City Crime

WOODSTOCK - With an increase in the number of criminals migrating to Oxford 
to set up grow house operations, Woodstock's mayor is pushing the province 
to help cover the policing costs.

"We are having to face increased policing costs because of the export of 
large criminals from big centres to our main street," said Michael Harding. 
"I think the incident of grow operations is increasing and it is putting 
further strain on our ability to provide policing to our community."

Citing the huge marijuana grow operation above The Gold Coin Tavern at 411 
and 413 Dundas St., Harding told Premier Dalton McGuinty in an e-mail that 
this type of organized crime is landing on the shoulders of local taxpayers.

"I feel it is necessary to alert the province this issue is coming to our 
town and we need financial help. The bad guys involved in this grow 
operation came from Toronto. The funding for the police service is to serve 
our people, not organized crime coming into our jurisdiction."

Oxford Community Police officers busted the $1.6-million operation on July 
1 but more than 100 hours of police work went into the investigation before 
the arrests were made.

"It took us weeks just to get the search warrant to get in the door," said 
OCPS Chief Ron Fraser. "Then it took another three or four officers 
spending two days in the place to get all the marijuana out. Then you have 
to store it, destroy it and hand everything over to seized property 
management. That's a lot of time. It eats up human resources."

Fraser said the officers must deal with a large number of grow house 
operations considering the size of its coverage area.

Harding recently received a response from the premier acknowledging his 
concerns. The letter stated, "I assure you that your views will be taken 
into consideration as we move ahead with our plan for real, positive change."

Harding said the letter brings some comfort that more will be done, but he 
won't be happy until there is some financial commitment.

Fraser said the province should give a portion of the revenue accumulated 
through property seized in drugs busts back to the local police forces 
involved."Grow houses have a substantial amount of capital. We seize the 
property and it ends up in a government account, which is then used in 
grant programs. But we do a lot of work to get this propert. Why can't the 
revenue come back to the police service involved? It's an integral part of 
what we do."

Since divvying up seized property revenue will mean a change in 
legislation, Fraser isn't expecting additional provincial funds any time soon.

"The only way it will happen quickly is if a bunch of municipalities take 
the same position," he said.

Collecting funds from taxpayers for police service costs has been an 
ongoing issue for OCPS.

Over the past three years, OCPS has increased their budget by as much as 16 
per cent causing townships like Blandford-Blenheim and East Zorra-Tavistock 
to consider switching to OPP.

As the incidents of organized crime continue to pop up in Oxford, Harding 
said he is concerned the police service for local residents will slip.

"So far we have been able to keep up," said Harding, "but I am worried for 
the future."
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager