Pubdate: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Abbotsford Times Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) OFFICIALS TO USE A VARIETY OF LAWS TO ATTACK MARIJUANA GROWING OPERATIONS ABBOTSFORD - A 90-day Grow Op Public Safety pilot project that kicked in Thursday should give Abbotsford one of the most effective marijuana-growing operation busting tools in Canada, said Mayor Mary Reeves. The aim of the project is to improve public safety, eradicate growing operations and to recover fire, police and city costs from owners whose properties contain marijuana growing operations or street drug labs. "We've been getting lots of calls from other jurisdictions across the country wanting a copy of this bylaw," Reeves said at the official launch at city hall Thursday. The $100,000 pilot project, designed in the past year and a half by the city's growing operation task force, will enforce the provincial Fire Services Act, the B.C. Building Code and the city's Controlled Substance Property Bylaw to gain entry into homes suspected to have dangerous activity. The bylaw enables the city to charge property owners, while the Fire Services Act allows firefighters to enter a property if there is a risk to public safety. Police and fire service costs to the city rose to $115,000 in 2004 from $60,00 the year before, said Reeves. Property losses, due to fire damage for example, fell to $400,000 in 2004 from $750,000 in 2004, but the city can't afford to pay for the skyrocketing costs, she added. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth