NEIGHBOURS GREET COPS WITH FLOWERS AFTER BUST

A Victoria drug house strewn with uncapped needles and fouled with human
excrement has been condemned after a raid.

Police who stormed into the yellow-and-white house in the 900-block of
Balmoral Road Monday afternoon were not prepared for the filth they found.

"There are uncapped needles everywhere, feces in every room, food that's
been around for a couple of years." said patrol Const. Brent Robertson who
executed the search warrant. "I've never seen a house this bad"

Neighbours had complained for several months about drug trafficking,
prostitution and noise at the rundown house.

When the news of the raid and arrests reached the neighbours, they dropped
off a bouquet of flowers and a card of thanks to the officers who were
working to clean up the site.

"They were very appreciative of us finally getting in here and getting these
people out of the neighbourhood," said Robertson.

He said police began watching the property last week, monitoring the number
of people who were coming and going. Sixty people arrived and left within
one three-hour period.

Early Monday, a man with heroin and a large amount of money was arrested on
the street outside the house. His female companion, who was wanted on a
warrant on the Lower Mainland, also was arrested.

"We felt we had enough grounds to obtain a search warrant," said Robertson.

At 12:30, police with tasers and sidearms, entered the house and arrested
four men and one woman.

They found a bag containing white powder, and stolen tools and electronic goods.

Four men and one woman face a series of charges related to drugs and
possession of stolen property.

After the arrests, the fire inspector, an electrical inspector and the
Capital Regional District health inspector were called in to condemn the
building and have it boarded up.

Sgt. Darren Laur described the house as one of the worst places he has ever
seen.

"We were searching a child's bedroom upstairs and we found a half-used
hypodermic needle under the mattress," said Laur.

Neighbours were not aware of any children living in the house.

Although the plumbing wasn't working, people had still been using the
overflowing toilets. One bathtub had been converted to a large toilet. A
hole dug in the backyard also was used as a makeshift outhouse.

Robertson said uncapped needles rolled out from under furniture and off
shelves as officers, who were wearing either leather gloves or two pairs of
latex gloves, searched the house.

"It's brutal inside," said Robertson. "It's probably one of the least safe
environments we've ever had to search. Needles have been left all over the
floor, in chairs, in clothing, in books."

Power had been shut off, but tenants had been running power lines to other
homes in the area. Unsafe wiring was exposed throughout the house. Remains
of a grow operation were also found in the upper bedrooms.

Floorboards were so rotted away in some of the bedrooms on the lower floor
there was a two-foot drop to the foundation.

A plastic lean-to shed built onto the side of the house had been used as a
shooting gallery by people who came to the house to get high.