Pubdate: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 Source: Daily Gleaner (CN NK) Copyright: 2010 Brunswick News Inc. Contact: http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3857 Author: Don MacPherson Pot seizures in N.B. up in 2010, says RCMP RCMP seizures of marijuana plants are up this year, and the force attributes that to an increase in the number of grow operations and a spike in the number of tips from the public. The RCMP's New Brunswick division reported Thursday that the force has seized more than 23,000 marijuana plants over the past few months. That represents a 53 per cent increase in seizures over the same period in 2009, a news release stated. RCMP spokesman Staff Sgt. Gary Cameron said there are a couple of factors that account for the spike in pot plant seizures. "The public is part of the solution," he said, noting that there was an increase in the number of tips about marijuana grow operations that the RCMP received so far this year. The RCMP is working to educate the public about the dangers of marijuana grow-ops so as to maintain that momentum and even increase the number of tips it receives, Cameron said. Marijuana grow-ops can pose a danger to the public, he said. With outdoor operations, they are sometimes protected by traps that can pose risk of injury to members of the public who happen upon them or police officers who go in to seize the plants, Cameron said. Indoor grow-ops pose different risks. "These operations can be very dangerous to communities," said RCMP Insp. Guy Rook. "Indoor marijuana grow operations pose an increased risk of fire, toxic chemical exposure and, of course, criminal activity, which can bring a higher potential for violence to our neighbourhoods." Cameron said another reason that the number of seizures is up this year is that there was more marijuana being grown. It was a hot summer and that made for good pot-growing conditions outside, he said. Outdoor grow-ops can be hard to find, even through air surveillance, Cameron said, so the RCMP counts on tips, which can be given anonymously through CrimeStoppers (1-800-222-TIPS). Now that things are cooling off, Rook said, there will likely be an increase in the number of indoor grow-ops. Outdoor grow-ops aren't as common in urban areas such as Fredericton, Cameron said. "Most of the large plantations are away from the populated areas," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt