Pubdate: Sat, 05 Mar 2005
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Andrew Seymour
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

LOCAL POLICE STICK WITH RAID POLICIES

Local police say they won't be revising policies and procedures when it 
comes to raiding or guarding marijuana grow ops or other crime scenes in 
the wake of the shooting of four RCMP officers. "Our operational methods 
are fine right now. I'm not going to second-guess what happened (in 
Alberta)," Ottawa police drug Staff Sgt. Marc Pinault said yesterday.

OPP Det. Insp. Frank Elbers felt it was too early to draw any conclusions 
about what happened in Alberta.

"Every time a search warrant is executed you try to learn from your last 
warrant," he said.

"There is always inherent risks, there is always an unknown factor that 
could occur that you haven't accounted for.

Dangers

"We're experienced at dealing with these grow operations but sometimes the 
unknown can happen."

Police said when it comes to grow ops, police face a variety of dangers, 
from booby traps to armed suspects intent on protecting their crop at any cost.

Since 2001, Ottawa police have shut down 173 marijuana grow operations, 
seizing more than $42 million worth of pot.

The OPP have executed search warrants at 1,822 grow operations in their 
jurisdiction over the past three years.

Provincial police seized 664,000 plants in those raids and 1,938 weapons, 
including firearms and knives.
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MAP posted-by: Beth