GOVERNMENT FACES PRESSURE FOR CRACKDOWN ON GROW-OPS

OTTAWA --- The Liberal government, now considering policy changes to
deal with the tragic slaying of four Mounties in Alberta Thursday,
will come under pressure from its own grassroots party members today
to take a tougher stand on marijuana grow-ops.

A resolution at the Liberal convention here from members in B.C.,
where grow-ops are believed to be most widespread, calls on the
government to establish a minimum sentence for operators.

Federal legislation now before the House of Commons doubles the
maximum penalties from seven to 14 years, but has no minimum prison
term even for the most serious offences.

The minimum two-year jail term "will discourage the recruitment of
operators in private homes by organized crime," states the resolution,
backed by the South-Surrey-White Rock-Langley riding.

B.C. Liberal Ginny Hasselfield said she doesn't believe tougher prison
sentences would have made a difference in terms of the Alberta shootout.

"I don't know if any legislation on grow-ops would prevent something
like that from happening."

But Hasselfield said a mandatory federal jail term might cut into the
ability of organized criminal groups to recruit individuals, including
recent immigrants, to operate and tend to the marijuana plants in the
grow-ops.

She said some some streets in Surrey have seven to 10 grow-ops. Some
are booby-trapped, posing a danger to firefighters if equipment
malfunctions in the unoccupied houses. "This is a big issue."

The B.C. resolution was endorsed Friday by the Canadian Association of
Chiefs of Police, which wants both a higher maximum sentence and a
minimum jail term for operators.

"We think it's time to take a look at this, especially now," said
association president Edgar MacLeod.

"This has been a horrible tragedy and this will hopefully cause us
some time for reflection and [to] come back together and take a long
hard look at this problem," he told CanWest News Service.