Pubdate: Tue, 08 Mar 2005
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 The Edmonton Journal
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Allan Woods, National Post; CanWest News Service
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Rochfort+Bridge (Rochfort Bridge)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

GROW-OPS JUDGED TOO SOON: TOP COP

RCMP Commissioner Says Root Cause Of Tragic Deaths May Lie Elsewhere

OTTAWA - Canada's top police officer said Monday that he was too quick to 
condemn a marijuana grow operation as the root cause in the deaths of four 
Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers last week.

RCMP commissioner Guiliano Zaccardelli said in an interview that his 
condemnation of grow-ops just hours after the shootings may have been 
inappropriate because police and politicians did not have full details of 
the particular case and the background of cop killer James Roszko.

Zaccardelli and Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, his political boss as 
the minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, spoke of the 
scourge of marijuana grow operations within hours of the killings and the 
need for tougher penalties for those who operate them.

"I gave what I believed was the best information I had knowing full well 
that at that time I didn't have all the information," a contrite 
Zaccardelli said. "Clearly, there's a lot of things in there that, in 
hindsight, we will have to look at in a different perspective."

Police in Mayerthorpe first attended Roszko's home last Wednesday with a 
court order to seize stolen auto parts. While there, they discovered what a 
search warrant said were 20 "mature" marijuana plants, "several pots 
containing dirt with stems coming out of them numbering close to 100," and 
a smell "consistent of a marijuana grow operation."

But in the days since the murders, it appears they were the work of a 
deranged man with a long criminal history, but hardly that of a gangster 
protecting his cash crop.

"None of these are simple issues. This requires some reflection and 
discussion," Zaccardelli said. "Let's honour the memory of these four 
fallen police officers and help their families get through it, and then we 
need to carry on the debate after this."

Zaccardelli's comments followed statements in the House of Commons by all 
four political parties commemorating the deaths of constables Peter 
Schiemann, 25, Anthony Gordon, 28, Brock Myrol, 29, and Leo Johnston, 32.

Opposition parties declined out of respect for the four dead officers to 
use Monday's question period to probe the initial reactions of Zaccardelli 
and McLellan.

McLellan would not discuss Zaccardelli's comments Monday.

Politically, it appears the federal gun registry could bear the brunt of 
the fallout in the days to come. Roszko had a long criminal record and 
should not have had access to weapons.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom