COPS PUBLICIZE GROW-OP SITES

Moving into a new place in Windsor and want the peace of mind of
knowing it wasn't previously used as a marijuana growing operation?

Windsor police can help.

The force has created a new section at www.police.windsor.on.ca
listing buildings in the city that have been identified as sites for
hydroponic growing of marijuana and had search warrants executed.

"It's something that we felt is a public safety issue, especially with
the size and sophistication of some of the grow-ops we are seeing,"
said Staff Sgt. Ed McNorton.

"We've been talking about doing this for quite some
time."

The listings go back to 2005, when Windsor police drug officers
executed warrants for suspected grow-ops at 20 locations, where they
seized as few as three plants or as many as 468.

Federal prosecutor Richard Pollock said the move by police to make
public the known locations of grow-ops is a good idea.

"I applaud the Windsor police for their efforts," said
Pollock.

"It serves the same public interest as when the media reports on a
grow operation being shut down."

Pollock noted that just because there may have been only three plants
in a home when police raided, doesn't mean there weren't many more at
another time.

Pollock said recent estimates of the number of grow-ops in Ontario
indicate they outnumber schools.

There are nine addresses on the list for 2006 and five on the list for
this year, including a massive operation with 1,255 plants that was
shut down at 2744 Edna St. on Sept. 30. The plants had a street value
of $700,000.

Last week The Star reported the plight of a Tecumseh man who moved
into a home on a lease-to-own plan, only to learn from neighbours that
it had previously been used as a grow-op.

After moving in, his asthmatic son became ill and had to move
out.

Under guidelines from the Real Estate Council of Ontario, a realtor is
supposed to tell the buyer if a home was previously used as a grow-op,
if the realtor knows about it. But there is no such requirement for
prospective renters or for private sellers.

Homes that are used as grow-ops can leave a legacy of numerous
problems that result from the high humidity levels required for
marijuana growth, such as mould and drywall damage.

Without major repairs, many grow houses are virtually
uninhabitable.

Police are reminding people to be aware of the telltale signs of a
grow op, including unkempt property, discarded bags of soil and plant
material outside, covered windows to conceal activities inside, bright
light escaping from inside and an outbuilding equipped with an air
conditioner to dry the product.