WEST VAN'S RENTAL WATCH ETHICS DEBATED

The B.C. Civil Liberties Union is crying foul over the West Vancouver
Police department's new Rental Watch prevention program.

The program was launched in response to the escalating number of marijuana
grow op busts in the bedroom community. Last year police busted 12
operations but this year have so far already taken down double that number.
Almost all of the grow ops have been found in rental properties.

Landlords can voluntarily register their properties with police and receive
a package by mail that contains tips on preventing and spotting possible
grow ops.

Murray Mollard, policy director for the B.C. Civil Liberties Union, said
the program unfairly targets renters and is an invasion of privacy.

"Sure, where there have been problems have been in rental properties but
the vast majority of renters are law-abiding citizens. Why should they,
merely because they're renters, be subject to heightened scrutiny by
police?" said Mollard.

However, West Vancouver Police Corporal Janis Jean said that only the
properties -- not renters -- will be kept on file.

Jean labelled the program a proactive, community-oriented solution to the
grow op problem that has plagued the mostly-upscale British Properties area
of West Van.

Most of the grow ops cause thousands of dollars of damage to rental
properties -- damage which is often not covered by insurance companies.

"I would appreciate (Mollard's point of view) if we were stopping in front
of a house, getting out of our cars and doing something that went beyond a
simple drive-by in a vehicle, but we're not," said Jean. "There's no hidden
agenda here. This is a very clear, open community partnership and we're
working together to help people clean their neighbourhoods up."

Jean said the department has already been inundated with calls from other
communities in B.C. seeking information on how to adopt the Rental Watch
program in their area.