Pubdate: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Maple Ridge News Contact: http://www.mapleridgenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n688/a03.html Author: Tim Meehan REAL CRIME Editor, The News: Re: What about missed work (Letters, June 6). Matt Ion received a warrant-less marijuana grow operation inspection after he says his wife called in repeated tips about suspicious vehicles in his neighbourhood. While I trust Mr. Ion and his family are just trying to keep their neighbourhood safe with his surveillance equipment, perhaps police thought that his family was fearing a grow rip? They say pot makes you paranoid - on both sides of the law, it seems. Some of this hyper vigilance could be making its way into police investigations. Unfortunately, this will only contribute to the stop-snitching phenomenon, as now even good-intentioned informants can be held under suspicion. If the police unions would stop lobbying Ottawa for harsher drug laws and sentences, maybe the time saved in the grow op scare could be better put to use tracking down real criminals. Tim Meehan Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake