RESIDENTIAL AREAS HOME TO CITY'S MARIJUANA GROW-OPS

They can lurk anywhere in your suburb. It could be in the quiet, tidy house
beside you or the house down the street that always has its drapes
perpetually closed. Or it could be the two-storey home with the children's
toys strewn outside the front door.

Ottawa police estimate there are 200 marijuana grow-ops located across the
city. One red hot active area for these operations appears to be Barrhaven.

Residential areas are the perfect locations for these drug operations, said
Staff Sgt. Pete Gauthier of the force's drug unit and proceeds of crime
section.

"They can be more concealed that way. By mixing with the general population
you are less noticeable that way," Gauthier explained.

Barrhaven seems to be a location of choice for these operations as the
community has an abundance of housing and a variety of homes to choose from
with unfinished basements, he said.

Most grow-op locations have an attached garage so residents don't know who
is entering and exiting the home, he added.

But Barrhaven isn't alone. Other popular areas for these types of
operations include the city's south end and Orleans.

Many homes housing grow-ops have lights hooked up to timers. A television
in the front living room may be on frequently. There will be furniture in
the home only visible in areas where neighbours can see.

"People want you to believe a family is living there," Gauthier said.

Increasingly, people are living in homes housing grow-ops, including children.

"It is certainly unsafe and it shows no care for human beings," he said.

While police have no theories why adults would allow children to live in
these residences, the force has taken the step of getting the Children's
Aid Society involved. When children are found living at a grow-op, CAS
authorities are called in and the organization will also investigate the
situation.

DISMANTLING GROW-OPS

Of the 200 estimated grow-ops in the city, police estimate they dismantle
10 per cent of these drug operations a year. In 2005, police raided 37 grow
ops, another 46 in 2006 and 27 last year. Police have dismantled 20
operations so far this year.

To make the public more aware of the problem, the OPS has started posting
addresses of former marijuana grow-ops on its website. In mid-March, police
found 139 plants and 117 grams of dried marijuana at a home on Steeple Hill
Road in Barrhaven. Police made two arrests and laid four charges.

Another grow-op in Barrhaven was dismantled in early April, this time on
Taradale Drive. While police found 500 plants, they made no arrests or laid
any charges at the time.

A week later, police raided two homes on Burntwood Crescent on the same
day. One of the homes housed 1,105 marijuana plants. Police also found 21.2
grams of dried marijuana. One person was arrested and four charges were laid.

A total of 531 plants were found at the second residence. One person was
arrested and four charges were laid by police.

Although police are keeping the addresses of dismantled grow-ops on the
website for three months, one organization believes the postings should
stay up for at least five years or longer.

Rick Snell, president-elect of the Ottawa Real Estate Board, said the
organization believes in full disclosure. By posting the addresses on the
website for a longer period of time, it will give future homebuyers an
important research tool when making one of the biggest purchases during
their lives.

"That way a buyer will know, even if the property has been remedied. They
can do some extra checking," Snell said.

Without the police registry, it makes it difficult for real estate agents
and home inspectors to determine if someone's dream house was once used as
a grow-op.

"Unless they are on the registry, it is very hard to detect. When the
plants are removed they can make modifications and clean up," he said.

If the property is properly fixed, there shouldn't be any reoccurring
problems in the future, Snell said.

However, if the property was quickly cleaned up for sale, future property
owners could find themselves facing costly repair bills.

Mould can grow in grow-ops and the property can be a fire hazard if the
wiring was tampered.

The real estate firm that Snell works for has sold former growop properties
that were remedied.

Fixing the damage can cost anywhere between $50,000 to $70,000, he said.

The police have received a positive response from the public since posting
the addresses online, Gauthier said, adding some police services have
called, wanting information about the registry.

"There has been absolutely nothing negative," he said.

DRUGS HEADED OUT OF TOWN

Most grow-ops are operated by members of organized crime.

While some of the locally grown marijuana will end up on city streets, most
of the drug heads to the U.S.

"The profits of growing marijuana are very large. We estimate $1,000 a
plant," he said.

A number of tips alerting police to potential grow-ops are generated by
Crime Stoppers.

For the most part, the information given to Crime Stoppers is credible and
it takes a week to a couple of months for police to properly investigate.

"They are very involved investigations and it is not anything that is done
overnight," Gauthier said. "People are being observant and I'm glad people
are taking the time to tell us about it."

But the fight to dismantle growops also takes the eyes of the community.

"It is dangerous to have a growop [in a community]. I am concerned with the
criminal element associated with it," he said.

"We really enjoy the bond we have with the community. We wish for that to
continue because it is of great assistance to the drug section."