INSPECTIONS TO TARGET GROW-OPS

Staff are proposing the District of Pitt Meadows implement a
three-month pilot project to eliminate residential marijuana
grow-operations through safety inspections.

Bylaws officer Leslie Elchuk said the public safety inspection program
is an alternative approach to deal with marijuana cultivation.

It was pitched to Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows last year by the
RCMP.

"The RCMP have their role. This is just another option," Elchuk
said.

Under the program, RCMP will forward a list of suspected grow-ops to a
team of four comprised of a bylaw officer and building, fire and
electrical inspectors.

Elchuk will then research the house, looking for spikes in electricity
and water use.

"We may do drive-bys," she said. "And see what it looks like and
what's going on."

If the information gleaned points to a possible grow-op, a notice
advising the resident that an inspection of the premises will be
conducted in 48 hours is posted.

RCMP officers will accompany the team on all inspections and clear the
house if a grow-op is found.

Elchuk said a no-occupancy notice will be posted at the house if an
electrical bypass, mould or furnace modifications are found.

After months of discussing the program, Pitt Meadows fire chief Bill
Park said staff decided it was time to move.

"We feel that it won't take a huge amount of our time," he
said.

The fire department has been to several house fires caused by grow-ops
over the years.

"These are places where electrical systems have been compromised by
people who don't care about safety," he said.

According to a study released by the University College of the Fraser
Valley in March last year, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows are one of the
fastest growing areas in B.C. for marijuana cultivation.

The report showed that the number of marijuana cases in Maple Ridge
and Pitt Meadows since 1997 had risen 375 per cent, including 152
cases in 2003 - representing 3.4 per cent of all those in B.C. that
year.

In a report presented to council on Tuesday, Elchuk noted the public
safety inspection program is a complement and not a replacement to the
existing criminal system.

She researched pilot projects done in Surrey and Abbotsford for the
report.

In Surrey, the program shut down 120 alleged grow-ops in a 90-day
period.

In Abbotsford, 32 houses were inspected. Electrical bypasses were
found at 20.

The team in Pitt Meadows expects to target 10 homes in residential
areas during the three-month pilot project.

"It's been very successful," Elchuk said.

"We think a three-month project would be the best thing for
us."

Staff time costs for the three-months are estimated at $31,000 and
grow-op recovery fees are pegged at $6020.

Elchuk said the pilot project will begin in August or September this
year if approved by council.