GROW OP PROGRAM A SUCCESS

A city program shut down more than 80 suspected Coquitlam marijuana
grow ops in the first seven months it was in operation.

Council heard about the success of the public safety inspection
program in a report to council from acting city solicitor Lisa Parkes
at Monday's council meeting.

The program has been in operation since the end of May and uses high
electrical consumption information from BC Hydro to target electrical
hazards that come about when properties are used for grow ops.

Between May 28 and Dec. 31, 2007, the public safety inspection team
conducted 128 inspections, with 88 of the properties found to have
hazards under the scope of the controlled substance property bylaw and
occupancy to the property was revoked and/or power to the residence
was shut off

Twenty-four inspected properties were found not to have sufficient
evidence to enact the bylaw, though the team strongly suspected there
had been a grow op on the property. Nine had no evidence of a grow op
and three were found to have some other kind of electrical hazard,
such as a garage being lived in and heated with space heaters, an
800-gallon aquarium, an unlicensed computer business and work done
without permits.

To the end of 2007, the team also issued about 255 bylaw notices for
grow op-related offences including interference with meters,
prohibited structural modifications, allowing mould or fungus to grow
and violations in relation to remediation and occupancy.

About 10 per cent of those bylaw notices have been disputed by
property owners -- 24 have gone to adjudication, and the city was
successful in all cases.

The city and RCMP are looking into taking advantage of the Civil
Forfeiture Act, that would allow seizure of a property used for crime.
The city and police should be in a position to start making court
applications this year.

Coun. Doug Macdonell said he hopes the city can get creative with the
act.

"We can seize almost everything (to do with the alleged crime),"
Parkes said, adding that proceeds from the sale of seized property go
to the provincial government.

Coun. Lou Sekora said he is looking forward to property seizures, and
said it's the only way to get the message across.