NEW BYLAW DRIVES 26 GROW-OPS OUT OF BUSINESS SINCE LAST MONTH

One pot grower protested he was earning money for college while
another thought no one would find lights and gear under a stairwell.

Surrey police and bylaw officers have heard and seen it all recently
as crooks scramble to keep up with a new noxious-substance bylaw.

"We're tightening the rope around these people," RCMP Cpl. Roger
Morrow said yesterday. "We'll make it not profitable to be in our city limits."

Designed to shut down marijuana grow-ops, the new bylaw has put 26
operations out of business since being introduced last month. Morrow
said the bylaw gives police a "super" tool to deal with commercial
operations without having to go through the courts.

He said the bylaw works by shutting down homes for safety reasons and
makes the owner responsible for cleanups that can hit $100,000.

Acting on a tip, city electrical inspectors request a home inspection
for safety reasons. Homeowners have 48 hours to comply, during which
time Surrey bylaw manager John Sherstone said the operation is often moved out.

If a home has been found to house a grow operation, it is deemed
uninhabitable until a costly cleaning has been carried out and approved.

A total of 489 grow-ops were interrupted or dismantled last year
before the bylaw came into effect and nearly 65,000 plants were seized.

Fifteen homes are awaiting a decision on forfeiture under proceeds of
crime legislation. Seven homes have been forfeited and the money sent
to Ottawa.

The number of grow-ops in Surrey on any given day is estimated at
between 2,500 and 4,500.