Pubdate: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 Source: Mission City Record (CN BC) Copyright: 2010 The Mission City Record Contact: http://www.missioncityrecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1305 Author: Carol Aun Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) A GROWING CONCERN Marijuana grow ops can pop up just about anywhere in any community. No neighbourhood is immune, and Mission is no exception. Police investigate and take down these illegal grow operations from one end of town to another, and are beginning to map the progress. These maps are created by the detachment's crime analyst and presented as information to the public. They can be viewed on the Mission RCMP website at www.mission.rcmp.ca. The maps also remind residents grow ops can happen in any neighbourhood, even yours, said Cpl. Sharon Siluch. They only show homes that have been busted, and provide a comparison from year to year. Last year police took down 50 marijuana grows operations and seized 41,103 plants and 105,743 grams of dried marijuana bud worth about $1,057,430. In 2008, 88 grow ops were busted, and there were 65 in 2007. So far this year, police have been busy with three. The RCMP street crime unit, with one officer dedicated to grow ops, is mainly responsible for investigating and taking down these illegal operations. The team can be extremely busy, depending on the number of reports and priorities. Police say a lot of tips come in from residents who suspect there is a grow op in their neighbourhood, and through Crime Stoppers, an anonymous tip line for police. Not all grow ops are gang-related, but most of them are affiliated with criminal activity, according to police. Regular people could grow the crop, but they still have to find someone to buy it, Siluch explained. She added nobody will admit organized crime is funding their operation. "There are ones that are legal, and regulated through Health Canada, but we are aware of them," said Siluch. The regulated grows are for medicinal purposes and there is a limit to how many plants they can have. But even these legalized ones are not immune to violence associated with illegal operations. Last week, three to five masked individuals barged into a home in the 9400 block of Barret Street and pepper sprayed the occupants in a grow rip, said Siluch. The occupants managed to escape from the home and called police when they thought they were safe to do so. When police arrived, the suspects already fled. Marijuana was growing at the home legally, said Siluch, but the invaders, who somehow heard about the grow, ripped it off because they feared it would be competition for them. Police don't know if the suspects were male or female, and the incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Other Dangers Violence is a risk for anyone growing marijuana. "Grow ops are targets for grow rips," said Siluch. There could be booby traps set up around the property to attack anyone trying to rip off the plants, making it dangerous for police who do the busts too. We are also seeing more firearms and other weapons, such as bear spray and bats, in homes to protect the crop, said Siluch. Grow rips aren't always reported to police, but sometimes officers are aware of them because there's a report of a break and enter or someone is at the hospital with suspicious injuries, such as a gunshot wound, or they are beaten up badly, and the medical staff at the hospital call police. But there are other dangers as well. There are fire risks, health risks and almost always damage to the home. Because marijuana plants require special lights which use a lot of electricity, growers usually find a way to bypass the hydro line to the house. They rewire the home and oftentimes the work isn't clean or proper. As a result, the circuit boards get overloaded, and a fire could break out. When firefighters are called in to put out a fire, police are also notified if there is a grow op on the property. If people are living in the same house where there is a marijuana grow op, their health can be compromised. The chemicals used to feed the plants is very toxic, Siluch explained. The house is usually very moist too, creating an ideal condition for mildew, fungus and black mould. Breathing this stuff in isn't good for you, said Siluch, noting that's why sometimes officers working to dismantle a grow op will wear white bio hazard suits. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake