COQUITLAM WANTS HYDRO TO HELP ID MARIJUANA GROW OPERATIONS

Frustrated Coquitlam councillors want B.C. Hydro to help identify marijuana
grow operations even though police have located more sites than they can
handle.

Coun. Louella Hollington said last night the idea is to compel Hydro to
provide "unusually high" electrical consumption -- which usually indicates
a drug operation -- to help RCMP make busts more economically.

"If Hydro provided the information it would save police a lot of time and
cost," she said.

"A lot of people wonder why Hydro is able to protect their information so
well."

Her motion passed unanimously, but it requires provincial legislation to
compel the power-supply company to open up its private records -- and will
perhaps contravene privacy laws.

But Coun. Diane Thorne said the problem is so huge something must be done
to help the six overworked officers on the grow team.

"We have people moving from certain areas of Coquitlam," she said. "They
are being attacked in their own homes by gro-rip operations which make
mistakes. I know a family which has been robbed three times. They're
terrified. They're going to leave."