CRIME HOTLINE TO FIGHT WEED

Asian Community Urged to Offer Tips

Toronto Police and Chinese community leaders are hopeful a hotline
that was widely used following the disappearance of little Cecilia
Zhang can help tackle the city's problem of marijuana
grow-houses.

The Fight Crime Direct Line, at 416-808-3681 , was created
specifically for Toronto's Chinese community after the 9-year-old girl
was snatched from her home in October, 2003. But the hotline was later
expanded to include tips on any criminal activity and it became useful
in the war on drug dens.

Public Reminder

"I just want to remind the community to call this hotline and give the
police criminal information, particularly on grow-houses," Det.
Raymond Miu, of the organized crime unit's Asian desk, said at a news
conference aimed at raising the awareness of the once popular hotline.

Calls to the hotline have been dwindling in recent years but Miu is
convinced it can still be useful -- especially in dealing with
grow-ops, which have been springing up across the city at a phenomenal
rate.

The hotline is staffed by Toronto Police officers but funded by the
city's Chinese community. All calls are confidential and tips can be
taken in Cantonese, Mandarin, and now Vietnamese.

Going Down

In its first three months of operation, the Fight Crime Direct Line
received 94 calls. It received 259 calls in 2004 and 165 in 2005. Last
year, there were just 87 tips. And only nine of those calls were to
report grow-houses.

Meanwhile, police are dismantling drug dens almost daily but receiving
few tips from those who live next-door to the marijuana grow operators.

In 2004, 320 grow-ops were busted. In 2005, 346 drug dens were shut
down. And last year, 287 grow-houses were put out of business.