CLAMPDOWN AHEAD FOR AREA GROW-OPS

Bevan Says New Measures To Combat Burgeoning Problem

Higher fines and more tools to help police and electrical utilities
shut down marijuana grow operations came into effect this week, and
Ottawa police Chief Vince Bevan hopes these measures will help Ontario
communities control the rising threat of organized crime.

In announcing the new law yesterday, Community Safety and Correctional
Services Minister Monte Kwinter said the rules will help police and
fire officials, utilities and municipalities discourage indoor
marijuana grow-ops.

Chief Bevan said the law will give police, firefighters, the insurance
and real estate industries and electrical utilities the opportunity to
work together to combat grow-ops. He said Ontario's policing and
insurance costs related to grow-ops and electrical power losses
totalled $263 million between 2000 and 2003.

"Grow-ops bring organized crime into residential neighbourhoods," the
chief said. "They increase the risk of fire by 40-fold. Temperatures
and humidity in grow-ops foster moulds and strong and dangerous
chemicals are used. Explosions and electrocutions are possible and
some of the grow-ops are booby trapped to injure or kill anyone who
tries to enter them."

Chief Bevan said the increasing number of firearms found at grow-ops
is a danger to police and emergency workers. He said many Ottawa
growers expose their children to the hazards of the business.

"They are not mom-and-pop operations -- they are mostly controlled by
organized crime, and they subsidize other dangerous criminal
activities. It is important that government, police and key business
sectors come together to combat this menace to our families,
neighbours and our communities."

Chief Bevan added that the police have serious concerns about the
number of ecstasy and crystal meth manufacturing laboratories in Ottawa.

"The poisons in those environments -- and the risk to any first
responder or any member of the public who goes to these laboratories
on business -- is significant," Chief Bevan said.

"We hope that this law on marijuana will put us into a good position
to deal with those labs as well."

Fines for using electric power to grow marijuana will double to
$50,000 for individuals and $5,000 for each day the offence continues.
There will be jail terms of up to one year under the Electricity Act
and fines of up to $1 million for corporations that misuse power.

Hydro utilities will be able to disconnect power supplies without
notice. Municipalities will be able to inspect buildings that have
been used to grow marijuana, and the owners will have to pay to
correct any wiring or safety problems before they are resold.

Mr. Kwinter also said he's looking into creating a provincewide
registry of residences that have been grow-ops or meth labs so
potential buyers can have inspectors look for mould and electrical or
structural damage.

"We want to make sure that nobody unsuspectingly buys a house that's
had the structure compromised because of a grow-op," said Mr. Kwinter.

Indoor marijuana grow-ops usually use large amounts of
electricity.

The proceeds from the sale of the buildings housing marijuana grow
operations and their contents will be used for law enforcement, crime
prevention and victim compensation.

Mr. Kwinter, who spoke at a fire station near Woodroffe Avenue and
Baseline Road, said illegal grow operations are an increasing threat
in Ontario because marijuana is typically traded in the United States
for guns and cocaine.

"Police suspect that organized crime has replaced independent
operators as the prime source of commercial marijuana," Mr. Kwinter
said. "Marijuana grow-ops are increasingly being located in highly
populated urban residential areas.

"This legislation is about protecting neighbourhoods from health and
fire risks that come with grow-ops, fighting organized crime and
protecting the economy and home buyers."

Russell Barth of Ottawa, who has a medicinal marijuana licence, said
the new law ignores Ontario's crack cocaine problem while discouraging
"relatively harmless indoor gardening." He said the law makes it
harder for small marijuana producers to grow at home, leaving a vacuum
that will be filled by organized crime.

"The places that are causing the problems are stealing hydro,
destroying homes and using workers who are virtually slaves," Mr. Barth said.

"This legislation will scare away all the mom-and-pop growers, but the
bikers will continue to drive around my neighbourhood wearing their
colours during the day and sell crack cocaine at $3 a rock. We should
be encouraging people to grow a little bit at home because it puts the
black market right out of business."