HYDRO RECORDS 'NOT A SILVER BULLET,' SAYS MAYOR

Tracking excessive power consumption through B.C. Hydro records may
not be the "silver bullet" some were hoping for to root out suspected
marijuana grow-operations.

Chilliwack Mayor Clint Hames said "maybe a handful" of the 538 records
B.C. Hydro turned over to the city last week following provincial
legislation introduced in April were worth following up with
applications for police search warrants.

"While it's good data to have ... the challenge comes from the court
where the test to get a warrant is fairly high," he said. "It's not a
silver bullet by any means."

Most grow-ops use equipment to bypass hydro meters and avoid detection
anyway, he added.

Six lower mainland municipalities, including Chilliwack, have
requested the power consumption data from B.C. Hydro. The information
is then analyzed by municipal staff with special software.

More than half the 538 Chilliwack records (278) showing more than 93
kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed per day were farms with
residences, a more likely explanation for the "abnormal" power
consumption than a clandestine grow-op, according to city staff.

Another 206 were duplexes or multi-family residences without
individual hydro meters, two were nursing homes and 39 more were
apartment buildings or townhouses with shared utilities and thus
higher power consumption than a "normal" single-family residence.

Only 13 of the Chilliwack addresses are considered worth investigating
further for possible violations of a municipal bylaw that takes aim at
the public safety risks involved in grow-ops and chemical labs.

Before the provincial legislation, power consumption was considered
confidential and protected by privacy legislation. B.C privacy
commissioner David Loukidelis asked the government to re-word the
legislation so only city inspectors can use it - not police to launch
criminal investigations.

B.C. Solicitor General John Les, a former Chilliwack mayor, said in an
earlier interview that the legislation is not aimed at criminal
activities, but those that pose a hazard to neighbourhoods.

"I don't have any problems with people interested in civil liberties
taking a critical look at this legislation," he said. "It's always
important to be balanced and not tread on personal privacy any more
than absolutely necessary. I think we have struck that balance."