THIS IS THE WAY TO SAVE OUR STREETS FROM GOING TO POT

Marijuana grow-ops in residential properties are so common in B.C.
that police are able to respond to no more than one-third of all the
calls they get.

This is bad news for several reasons, including the very real danger
that grow-ops pose to the lives of innocent citizens.

A case in point: Firefighters called to an apartment blaze in Burnaby
this week found grow-ops not just at the scene of the fire but in
several adjoining units. This is far from an unusual occurrence.

There is also a big economic penalty to be paid when leased
properties are turned into grow-ops, with all the attendant damage.

In an important series in The Province this week -- the Safe Streets
Project -- reporter Elaine O'Connor has looked at Lower Mainland
communities that are working to keep their neighborhoods free from crime.

O'Connor reported yesterday on how residents in Chilliwack are
helping to weed out grow-ops through a project called Block and Grow Watch.

More than 1,600 residents have signed up, covering more than 20
blocks. It is expected that their vigilance in spotting tell-tale
signs of drug activity will halt the shocking 214-per-cent growth in
grow-ops in Chilliwack between 1997 and 2003.

We applaud the citizens of Chilliwack for their initiative -- and
recommend it to all those who care enough about their communities to
want to see the grow-op scourge eliminated.