Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jul 2012
Source: Daily Herald-Tribune, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2012 Osprey Media
Contact: http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx
Website: http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/804

GREEN TEAMS TURN UP THE HEAT

ALERT Team Asking Public to Keep an Eye Out for Rural Grow-Ops

With mid-summer being the prime time of the year for activity around 
outdoor marijuana grow-ops, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team 
(ALERT) is asking Peace region residents to keep their eyes peeled 
for suspicious activity.

A rural grow-op is "a very labour intensive project" that requires 
on-site maintenance on a regular basis, explained acting Sgt. Ray 
Savage with ALERT's Green Team North. The team aims to dismantle 
rural and urban grow-ops across northern Alberta.

"You have to clear trees, or bring in hoses and construction 
materials to build your greenhouses," explained Savage. "You'll want 
to ensure your soil is adequate, and you'll have to bring in 
nutrients, essentially supplements to help your plants grow."

Throw in pumps to bring in water for crop irrigation, and it adds up 
to a very involving criminal enterprise-one that's easily noticed by 
those paying attention to their local backroads.

"All of these things are going to require one or more people to set 
up, and it does require some sort of maintenance every one to three 
days, most important being the watering of the plants," he said.

The Green Team has had some high-profile success in recent years, 
with operations taken down in Spirit River, Manning, Grimshaw and 
High Prairie over the last two years. Most of those investigations 
got underway thanks to tips from the public, said Savage.

The largest of those happened in August 2010, when a 6,500 plant 
outdoor operation was dismantled around High Prairie after an 
investigation involving the Green Team.

That led to charges against six B.C. men, who grew the cash crop 
inside 12 Quonset huts on a heavily wooded property on leased land 
northwest of High Prairie.

With a street value of $6.5 million, it's the largest marijuana grow 
operation in Alberta's history.

Outdoor grow-ops are typically established in the spring, and with 
some basic technology, can produce the first cash crop before the end 
of summer.

"It's no different than if you're planting a garden after the May 
long weekend, and you hope there's no longer a frost," said Savage. 
"Outdoor grow operators will conduct themselves in the same fashion, 
where they'll plant their seedlings or their clone plants."

Using a light cycle to simulate shorter daylight hours associated 
with the fall, growers who use temporary coverings for the plants can 
induce an early harvest.

In addition to tips from the public, the Green Team uses aircraft and 
helicopter surveys to gather intelligence. Grow-ops often appear from 
the sky as a patch of lime green vegetation concealed from roads or 
hidden within other crops.

"While many people think grow ops are limited to cities, growers are 
drawn to rural areas where they feel their activity is more concealed 
and may go unnoticed," added Savage. "This is why it's so important 
to be on the lookout."

Other signs to watch for include isolated greenhouse structures, 
generators or other equipment not normally found in the bush, and 
ATVs accessing previously unused trails.

Residents appearing temporarily in an area with construction 
materials, engaging in suspicious activity at rural water sources, 
and erecting temporary structures or pumps are also indicators of 
possible illicit activity.

In addition to the effects of the drugs produced, marijuana grow 
operations present significant safety hazards in the form of 
electrical bypasses put in place to acquire the large amount of power 
needed for a grow operation. The bypasses can create an extreme fire 
hazard, Savage explained.

ALERT is a partnership of nine agencies including RCMP and municipal 
police forces around Alberta.

Green Team North is one of several projects carried out under the 
umbrella of ALERT, and is comprised of RCMP members, the Calgary 
Police Service, and the Edmonton Police Service.

Between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012, ALERT seized more than 
57,000 marijuana plants, valued at nearly $69 million if sold at the 
street level. Many of those seizures occurred in the Calgary area.

To report suspicious activity or a suspected marijuana grow operation 
in the Peace region, contact police or Crime Stoppers at 
1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). For information on how to spot a marijuana 
grow operation, visit www.alert-ab.ca/growops .
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom