Pubdate: Wed, 10 Oct 2012
Source: Merced Sun-Star (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Merced Sun-Star
Contact: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/284
Website: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2546

TO ERADICATE POT, EVERYONE MUST HELP

In recent weeks, law enforcement has stepped up efforts to eradicate 
large marijuana-growing operations not just in Merced County, but up 
and down the San Joaquin Valley.

Agencies are targeting those who are hiding behind the state's 
medical marijuana law to produce and process far more than an 
individual or group would need to meet their health care needs.

For example, one marijuana-growing operation in the valley was on 15 
acres. A raid on that site yielded hundreds of plants and hundreds of 
pounds of processed marijuana -- and that's not the exception. 
Authorities say Mexican cartels, gangs and people just out to exploit 
the California law to make a buck, lots of them, are at the root of 
the problem.

These large growing operations are a serious threat to the community. 
They bring criminal elements into our neighborhoods and even our 
remote rural areas.

More than just a few weapons have been confiscated from those willing 
to arm themselves to protect their drugs. Adding to the tension is 
the threat of drug thefts, which can put neighbors in harm's way when 
the indiscriminate shooting starts, and the trafficking that occurs 
when people looking to score come calling -- day and night, at all hours.

None of these large-scale operations is justified under Proposition 
215. Law enforcement can and must act to eradicate those expansive 
pot grows to protect the community.

That means that the public also has an obligation to report 
suspicious activity so authorities can investigate and eliminate any 
illicit operations. People have to be diligent at keeping an eye out 
and engaging authorities whenever there's a concern.

For its part, law enforcement must be accessible and responsive to 
the calls and inquiries. Certainly there are limits on how just how 
much they can do and how quickly they can act in the wake of current 
budget limits. Most people understand that -- their budgets are 
stretched thin, too.

But the situation on South Coffee Street in Merced should never be 
allowed to happen again. Residents say they called for weeks to 
report a grow house but got nowhere. That's bad enough, but it's made 
worse by the fact there are two schools nearby.

Finally, residents took their case to social media, even prodding a 
local politician, to get some action. When it occurred, 300 marijuana 
plants were seized, 1,000 pounds of dried marijuana and one gun 
confiscated and three people arrested.

The lack of responsiveness is unacceptable. Agencies can't ask the 
public for help and then ignore their calls for it, no matter how 
busy they are or how few resources they have.

No one expects it to be like television, with a crime solved every 60 
minutes. But it doesn't need to be a miniseries that goes on and on. 
That undermines the public's confidence and willingness to help -- a 
bad ending nobody needs.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom