PSL GROW HOUSE BUSTS ATTRACT NATIONAL MEDIA

PORT ST. LUCIE - Few people have seen the inside of the Northwest
Halibut Street home, with its marble countertops, high ceilings,
stainless steel appliances - and sophisticated rooms used in farming pot.

That will likely change at 10 p.m. Thursday, when the
Spanish-language network Univision airs a segment on "Aqui y Ahora"
("Here and Now") focusing on the more than 60 marijuana grow houses
raided by police since May.

The story generated local headlines for months, but lately it appears
to have gotten the attention of big-time broadcasters.

National Public Radio last week interviewed Chief John Skinner and
Sgt. Todd Schrader; the three-member Univision crew spent Monday in
Port St. Lucie; and a "Geraldo At Large" representative made
inquiries on Tuesday.

City Council members generally cast the national and international
coverage in a positive light, saying it highlights the hard work of
police to shut down the houses and arrest the pot farmers.

"In the short run, we may be made fun of," Councilman Jack Kelly
said. "But in the long run, it's actually an economic development
benefit to let people know that we're not going to tolerate marijuana
growers here."

He said police have apprehended "many low-echelon syndicated people"
involved in the operation.

"They now know that Port St. Lucie is not the place to be if you want
to do drugs," he said. "That's the premier message we're sending out
- - not that it's 'Pot St. Lucie.' "

Councilwoman Michelle Berger said national coverage of the grow
houses won't necessarily harm the city's image.

"Although it's not something to be proud of, it's something we have
eliminated, and we can be proud of that," she said.

Mayor Bob Minsky said he didn't think the grow houses would have
garnered this much attention.

"But then again, the public has a cynical appetite for things like
this," he said. "Maybe 'morbid' would have been the right word rather
than 'cynical' ... There's probably a lot of people saying 'Better
them than us.' "

Meanwhile, Detective Rafael Gonzalez, a New York native who speaks
Spanish, spent several hours Monday with Univision discussing the
homes, which he helped raid over the past several months.

It was a fish-out-of-water scenario for the former New York police
undercover narcotics investigator, who was conducting the first
television interview - complete with makeup and multiple takes - of
his almost 10-year law enforcement career.

"At first, I was a little nervous about the whole situation,
especially since it's going to be broadcast internationally," he said.

Skinner said grow houses are hardly confined to Port St. Lucie,
noting 14 were busted in Miami last week.

"It isn't just a Port St. Lucie problem," he said. "It's an American
problem, and something that's got to be addressed."