Pubdate: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 Source: Langley Advance (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc. Contact: http://www.langleyadvance.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248 Author: Erin McKay Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada) DRUGS: COUNCILLOR TARGETS DRUG HOUSES A New Bylaw That Would Take A Stand Against Drug Labs And Make Homes Safe For Families Is Being Proposed By A Langley Township Councillor. Jordan Bateman grew up and went to school in Langley. He is a young husband and father, a homeowner, and a member of Township Council. That's why, for the sake of his family and others in the community, Bateman said a stand must be taken against drugs now - and it must be taken at a municipal level. "I'm tired of idle chatter," said Bateman. "We want to see results and success." "We can't put people in jail," he said of what Township Council can do to cope with the drug problem, "but we can make it very difficult for drug dealers and producers to do business." "We can pull up the welcome mat," he said. Bateman is proposing that Council enact a bylaw that would make it hard for Langley houses to be used as drug labs, and ensure that those who live in homes where labs once existed will be healthy and safe. The bylaw would be similar to ones used in neighbouring municipalities, and would condemn houses used as meth labs or pot grow-ops until all damage is repaired, and the home is brought up to specific health and safety requirements. The possibility of noting the presence of drug labs on the land titles or tax notices should also be investigated, Bateman said, to ensure potential new buyers know what they are dealing with. Bateman estimates there are 500 to 1,000 clandestine drug labs in Langley Township, a problem that hit close to home a couple of years ago when a dozen grow-ops were busted within 15 months in Murrayville's upscale, high-end Hillcrest development. The area has since been cleaned up, said Bateman, who moved into the neighbourbood last summer with his wife and two-year-old daughter. But the discovery of so many drug labs in one area illustrates how easy it is for drug producers - many of whom are members of organized crime - to set up shop. The problem, Bateman said, is absentee landlords and irresponsible property owners who turn a blind eye when renting out homes. Through the proposed bylaw, landlords would be made accountable by making it difficult to resell a home used as a drug lab, until specific standards are met. It would also force landlords to inspect their property every three months, which would potentially interrupt the growing cycle of marijuana plants. Currently, the B.C. Real Estate Association requires sellers to indicate whether a property has been used as a drug lab, but the system has no legal teeth. If a home has been patched over, but not properly cleaned and repaired, it is easy for new tenants to simply start up another drug lab, said Bateman, and more importantly, it poses health risks to those who move in afterwards. Chemicals used in drug labs and the mold and mildew they produce can remain in the walls, carpeting, and curtains of a home, and have harmful physical and neurological effects on people, especially small children. "The Township has no set regulation on how to bring those houses up to standard," he said of an issue that would be addressed by his proposed bylaw. Homes used as labs would be labeled uninhabitable until those standards were met and the homes are given a clean bill of health by a fire chief or building inspector. "We're closing a legislative loophole and ensuring buildings are restored to their proper condition," said Bateman, who planned to introduce the bylaw as a notice of motion on Monday evening, during Township Council's Feb. 6 meeting. The motion would be discussed the following week. According to Bateman, Langley is in a position to take a serious stand against drugs. "All the pieces are here," he said, noting that the Township has developed a Community Safety Commission, and enacted a bylaw that puts the financial burden of dealing with drug labs on landowners, not taxpayers. The community is well-educated about the drug issue, Bateman added, noting that Inspector Janice Armstrong, the new head of the Langley RCMP detachment, comes from Ridge-Meadows, which boasts a successful anti-drug program. "We have a mayor and Council that is taking this seriously, and a staff that is willing to roll up its sleeves to get the work done," said Bateman, who wants to ensure that local law enforcers have the tools they need. "It occurred to me that if the Township isn't a safer, cleaner, more sustainable place to live in 20 years, I have no one to blame but myself," he said. "Many families want this issue dealt with." Bateman encouraged any residents with ideas about how to fight drugs in the community to contact him at or call 604-340-9385. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom