Pubdate: Fri, 23 Mar 2007
Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 The Hamilton Spectator
Contact:  http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/181
Author: Marissa Nelson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

GROW OP STARTED AFTER SECURITY CUTBACK

Former Superintendent Still Fears For Her Life

Organized criminal elements in one of the buildings behind the city's 
biggest grow-op bust moved into an east end highrise shortly after 
the building operators drastically cut back on private security.

Police say the marijuana growers moved in late last year, some months 
after a hard-working, crime fighting couple who were the 
superintendents at the Grandville Avenue building was chased away by 
gangs who shot up their car.

The couple was part of a broader community push to clean up the 
building and the surrounding Riverdale neighbourhood in east Hamilton 
that is plagued by crime, drugs and gangs.

The community that tipped off police continues to try to fight, 
despite the setback of the grow ops.

The massive scale of the $11-million bust puts the spotlight on three 
buildings, all operated by the same company, Di Cenzo Management Inc. 
It raises questions about how the operations could have escaped detection.

Police say the owners and managers of the three buildings are not 
suspects. But the former superintendents, current tenants and the 
ward councillor say more could have been done to prevent the problem.

Di Cenzo vice-president Anthony Di Cenzo did not return repeated 
phone calls from The Spectator yesterday. The Di Cenzos own dozens of 
buildings in the city.

Councillor Chad Collins wants the managers to beef up their screening 
of applicants for apartments.

"There are certain things you can do to make sure you don't invite 
these problems," he said, pointing to the condition of the building 
and the screening process.

Di Cenzo said Wednesday that landlords are limited in their ability 
to screen apartment seekers. He said there was no way his company 
could know what was going on in those units.

Collins said the three buildings have been problems for years, but 
there are others in the area which don't have any problems at all.

On Wednesday, Di Cenzo said there had been no complaints or 
indications of the grow ops. Residents disagree. Scott Metcalfe is 
one of a number of tenants who said they did complain to the 
superintendent of sawing and drilling noises, unusual activity. He 
said those complaints weren't dealt with.

"I started making complaints about construction going on. We heard 
drills and saws. I said, 'What is all this noise about? Someone needs 
to check it out.'"

The city launched a property standards blitz at 11 Grandville in 2002 
to try and fix up the building, but it only had limited success.

Heather and Ed Ambo were the superintendents of the building until 
February 2006, when they moved away for safety.

"As soon as we were out of there, there was an opportunity to move 
in," Heather Ambo said in a telephone interview.

Heather Ambo said that, shortly after they moved out, the security 
company for the building was changed. Then it was drastically scaled 
back from a 24-hour-a-day operation to only Friday and Saturday nights.

The Ambos had an extra officer at night and a dog. Both were 
eliminated after they left. After their departure, there was less 
communication with police and less supervision of the building.

"It made it easier for people to come and go," Heather said.

Ambo still fears for her life, but enjoys her quiet, post-Grandville existence.

A two-bedroom apartment at 11 Grandville Ave. rents for $650 a month, 
including hydro.

There is high turnover in the buildings and many residents are recent 
immigrants. Heather Ambo said any credit or reference checks on 
potential residents are done at head office.

She is sure of one thing -- there were no grow operations in the 
building when she was there. She had found one at another building 
she managed and knew what to watch for, like tin-foiled windows.

She figures a big building like the one on Grandville is a target 
because a marijuana farm is less obvious when plants are scattered 
across many units.

She hopes the bust will be the start of a renaissance for the community.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom