PILOTS ASKED TO REPORT POT

Crimestoppers has enlisted an army of new eyes in the sky this summer
in its battle against marijuana growers.

The Sarnia-Lambton chapter and its annual "Operation Pot Spot"
campaign is asking local pilots to help identify marijuana grow
operations in local fields. Const. Mark Dew said crops are typically
planted among corn and are hard to see from the ground.

"When you're over top of it, it's easy to see," Dew said. "The pilots
can be a huge asset to us."

The program encourages pilots to note GPS coordinates of marijuana
they see and turn them over to Crimestoppers in exchange for a
reward. It's also safer to scout from the air, Dew said.

"There is always the risk that on the ground you'll run into someone
willing to inflict serious bodily harm or death to protect their product."

For years criminals have taken to local fields to plant marijuana.
They normally choose areas close to a water supply and beyond the
normal walking distance from a road. That's why searching by air is
so valuable, Dew said.

"The marijuana is really camouflaged by the corn. It grows at about
the same rate."

Local police find and destroy almost 100,000 marijuana plants each
summer, Dew said.

"Depending on the area, those plants can go from $1,000 to $1,500
each. That's a lot of money out of the pockets of organized crime."

To contact Crimestoppers call 1-800-222-8477.