Pubdate: Tue, 13 Aug 2013
Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Kamloops This Week
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271
Author: Cavelle Layes

FEWER EYES IN SKY SEEKING CHASE GROW-OPS

Outdoor marijuana growers in the Kamloops area might notice the same 
amount of law enforcement they did 10 years ago, but growers to the 
east might be having an easier time thanks to a financial crunch.

About 10 years ago, the business of outdoor pot-growing in Chase was 
a bit more challenging, thanks to local RCMP.

Chase RCMP Cpl. Mark Skotnicki noted the detachment used to conduct 
an annual "harvesting" crackdown.

The program would span seven to 14 days and would have officers 
hitting Chase mountain-sides in the final weeks of August or early 
September, searching for crops ready for harvest.

Skotnicki said the marijuana plants were usually easy to spot, 
explaining many outdoor grow-ops tend to be planted in cut-blocks and 
have distinct colour differences, making them detectable to the human eye.

Skotnicki estimated the annual crackdown would pull in anywhere from 
10 to 16 grow-ops each year, bringing in several thousand plants.

RCMP from Chase and outside areas would work together finding, 
cutting and removing the plants.

However, such an operation required an excessive use of manpower, 
which meant an increase in expenses for the Chase detachment.

"There is no incentive program for us to receive anything from the 
seizures," Skotnicki said, noting this includes monetary and 
equipment incentives.

In the United States, police receive something from grow-ops busted. 
Skotnicki said it is not the case in Canada.

When money began to get tight and cut-backs were needed, the 
harvesting program was weaned down until it was no longer conducted at all.

Skotnicki said it's not only the Chase detachment that was hit hard 
financially, but detachments nation-wide.

"We are in the second year of a three-year financial crunch," he said.

While Mounties conducted a number of larger busts, the manpower 
required to work the program was getting pricey by the end.

Ideally, the RCMP would have liked to have had 10 officers working 
each of the seven to 14 days, but that was not always possible.

The expenses didn't end with costs of physical duty.

Skotnicki noted that, while it took time to clip, bag and process the 
10,000 plants, the paperwork would be ongoing months after the raid occurred.

Skotnicki believes once the financial situation improves, the aerial 
assaults on pot plantations will return.

For now, however, he stressed Mounties still undertake investigations 
and perform seizures, albeit in a different manner based on 
complaints or information given to police.

"It is when we do them in bulk and do a large amount in a short time 
that things get costly," Skotnicki said.

"We still investigate when tips come in."

Whether he considered the thousands of plant seizures to be 
successful, Skotnicki said it depends on how one looks at it.

"Success would be to completely eradicate drugs," Skotnicki said.

"But, really, no one is ever going to win the war on drugs."

He admitted the amount of plants seized through the program was only 
the tip of the iceberg in the bigger picture.

"But, I would like to think that seizing 10,000 plants from 10 grows 
in a one-to two-week period meant we were putting some kind of dent 
in it locally," Skotnicki said.

"I can say from a policing perspective that that kind of result is a success."
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