COPS EYE HYDROPONIC DRUG PRODUCTION IN CHATHAM-KENT

A concerted effort to target mid-level marijuana suppliers has been
successful for Chatham-Kent police officers so far this year, as they have
seized a larger number of hydroponics growing operations than usual.

The police services board have been told that drug units seized $2 million
worth of drugs within the last month. But it's not necessarily a sign
there's more marijuana productionthan in the past -- it may be a shift in
investigation techniques and growing patterns.

Deputy Chief Carl Herder says the drug unit's focus has shifted from casual
users to mid-sized dealers. While the casual user isn't being ignored, drug
investigations are concentrating more on high volume suppliers.

"We have concentrated our efforts on gathering information in regards to
who's doing the grow houses," he said. "It's our hope that if we can take
away the supply, the user will be very frustrated and it will be very
difficult for anyone to get hold of those drugs."

Herder says it there aren't enough statistics to say whether there is an
increased supply. In fact, he doesn't think there is an increased supply.

"It was always suspected that there is a lot of growing going on," he said.
"At this point it's very difficult to say there are more, I don't think so."

And over the last few years there have been fewer seizures made outdoors in
area fields. Herder says with fewer seizures every year in the fields,
officers believed the growers' efforts were shifting indoors.

"We were getting less and less in the fields, so there was some thought
that they are growing it somewhere," Herder said.

The success in breaking up hydroponics operations has uncovered one
alarming statistic. The growers are more likely to be armed.

"In those grow houses, we've seized 20 firearms in thelast three months,"
he said. "I don't think it's a situation where it is less violent."

Police Chief John Kopinak says the number of guns being seized is worrying,
and easily justifies police plans to increase their efforts in drug
enforcement.

"Not only the drugs, but what really concerns me are the firearms," he
said. "I'm glad the board's business plan reflects some additional
resources in drug enforcement."

Kopinak says public surveys the police service carried out in preparing the
business plan supports more emphasis on drug enforcement. "The stats show
that we're going to need them," Kopinak said.