Pubdate: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2007, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://torontosun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: Rob Lamberti, Toronto Sun 2 MORE GROW-OP KIDS FOUND The Problem Is Getting Bigger, Cops and Children's Aid Workers Fear It's a list police don't like to see: Two days, two separate marijuana grow operations and four children, including an infant. On Tuesday, York officers raiding a Weldrick Rd. E. home in Richmond Hill to dismantle a 450-plant operation handed over two girls -- a 12-year-old and an 11-month-old -- to the Children's Aid Society. A day earlier, two boys -- aged 10 and 15 -- were also put under the care of the York CAS after police dismantled a grow operation of about 100 plants at a Simsonston Blvd. home in the Don Mills Rd.-Steeles Ave. area. NO SURPRISE "You know what, unfortunately it's right in line with our statistics," Det. Kory Keeping of York's vice and drugs unit said of ratio of raids to children found in the homes so far this year. "It's nice to get (the kids) out of that environment." Many children are exposed to mould and airborne pesticides used to battle bugs. Pesticides and fertilizers are also forced through the house when the furnace turns the blower on to distribute heat or air, he said. People in grow houses also face oxygen depletion, carbon monoxide poisoning and the danger of electrical fires. Last year, the drug unit raided 93 grow-ops and rescued 27 children. In 2005, he said the unit raided 101 operations and found 32 children in need of CAS protection while in 2004, 38 children were found living in 132 grow-ops the unit dismantled. So far this year, the drugs and vice unit has raided 10 grow-ops. York Region CAS boss Martin MacNamara said the society gets more kids in their care than those found by police. While police found four kids so far, two others have also been referred to the CAS by neighbours or teachers. NUMBERS CLIMB He said he's concerned that growers are becoming more sophisticated and are able to avoid detection, and believes there is a growing number of children exposed to the dangers of grow operations. Children removed from grow-ops are sent to the Hospital for Sick Children for an assessment and blood tests. MacNamara said most of the children are eventually returned to their parents and are supervised to ensure the children won't be exposed to another grow-op. "We want to make sure the children are okay," he said. A man, 27, of Richmond Hill, was charged Tuesday with possession for the purpose of trafficking, producing a controlled substance and theft of electricity. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine