POLICE WANT YOUR TIPS ON GROW-OPS

The war against drugs has a new front in Kelowna.

RCMP are now seeking tips on marijuana grow-ops after going through a
period in which police couldn't investigate all of the anonymous tips
they received.

During 2006 budget deliberations by city council, RCMP wanted to hire
three full-time members to investigate the numerous Crime Stoppers
tips on drugs and property crime.

The Crime Stoppers board even took the unusual step of going
cap-in-hand to the community seeking donations for a cash-for-tips
program called Safe Communities Initiative.

At the time, RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon admitted drug officers were
going after cocaine dealers during the past year at the expense of
grow-ops.

"We have all kinds of grow-op tips we can't follow up on," he
said.

A record 951 tips were received by Crime Stoppers in 2005, 392 of them
related to illegal drugs, but there were only 24 arrests.

At that time, there were an estimated 500-plus grow-ops in the Central
Okanagan.

"In recent months, Kelowna RCMP have been focusing their efforts on
street-level trafficking in the downtown core," Const. Annie Linteau
said Monday.

"It was and remains the opinion of Kelowna RCMP that an increase in
police presence in the downtown core keeps that area under control and
has contributed to an overall positive effect in the downtown core as
evidenced by the crime statistical reporting for the first eight
months of 2006."

RCMP will continue a vigilant presence in the downtown core, she
said.

However, RCMP have determined that a number of marijuana grow
operations are linked to organized crime.

"Organized crime has no boundaries. The individuals involved in
organized crime could be running a marijuana grow operation right next
door. Marijuana cultivation is used to fund other criminal operations,
and these grows are clearly a threat to public safety and well-being,"
said Linteau.

Police are taking every report of suspected drug activity seriously
and "would like to encourage the public to report any suspicious drug
activity in their neighbourhood, including suspected marijuana grow
operations," she said.