Pubdate: Fri, 07 Apr 2006
Source: Chilliwack Progress (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 The Chilliwack Progress
Contact:  http://www.theprogress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/562
Author: Kevin Diakiw
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

HYDRO MUST TURN OVER POWER DETAILS

Heavy users of electricity will be reported to police under a new 
bill introduced in the legislature this week.

Near the end of this month, municipalities will have BC Hydro records 
on demand, data which will be turned over to police to determine 
whether spikes in power use were caused by a marijuana grow operation.

Marijuana grow ops require high power consumption, typically three to 
10 times the amount used by a normal home.

"This amendment will help local authorities target and shut down 
marijuana grow operations more quickly and more efficiently," 
Minister of Public Safety John Les said in the legislature Thursday, 
as he introduced Bill 25. "With these amendments, municipalities will 
now be able to obtain information from electricity companies about 
residences with unusual power consumption."

The names and addresses of the account holders will now be given to 
local authorities to investigate whether their homes contain a grow 
operation, he said.

It's the latest tool in a revolutionary program launched by the 
Surrey fire department that sees high energy users put on notice for 
inspection. Non-compliance results in power to the home being shut 
off. Surrey and Abbotsford are the only cities in the region running 
the initiatives.

One of the main impediments to the program, investigators say, has 
been the time-consuming process of acquiring BC Hydro information 
through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act 
(FOI). To obtain an FOI request, the city first had to have tips from 
neighbours. Now the investigation process will be reversed: power 
records first, then assessment.

"A key trigger for the inspections was unusual electricity 
consumption, but obtaining that information at the time was a 
challenge," according to Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis. "The greater 
availability of energy consumption information is expected to greatly 
expand the ability of these inspection programs to disable marijuana 
grow operations in our neighbourhoods."

Launched last year, the Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI) 
involved fire, police, bylaw and building inspectors tracking high 
energy use and posting a notice that the home will be inspected in 48 hours.

"The pilot (program) results exceeded expectation," notes Garis. "The 
Surrey EFSI team processed 420 police tips and rendered safe 119 grow 
operations."

Garis acknowledges the new legislation will be controversial.

"The new program may be viewed by some as an infringement of privacy, 
however it is believed that the public's safety is more compelling 
and outweighs any privacy rights," Garis said. "Through this 
legislation, the provincial government - as part of its duty to its 
citizens - has enabled local governments to immediately and 
effectively address the grave public safety threat by residential 
grow operators."

Whether the police and fire investigate the homes in a blitz or over 
a sustained period is yet to be determined.

"We just don't know what we've got out there," Garis said.

Representatives from B.C. Civil Liberties and the Privacy 
Commissioners office did not return phone calls by The Leader's press 
time Thursday.

However Jason Gratl, president of the B.C. Civil Liberties 
Association, said the legislation seems "neither necessary or desirable."

He notes there are enough marijuana grow operations to keep police 
busy for a long time, without the use of power records.

"It all seems a little much for such a purpose," Gratl said Thursday. 
"This is one part of a larger tendency of this provincial government 
to attempt to simplify the investigative techniques of the RCMP by 
providing the police with access to information from other sources."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom