HELP US SMOKE OUT GROW OPS, COPS URGE

Plea To Public. Beaconsfield Tip Sheet Tells How To Spot Them

If your neighbour is never home, his house has several windows so
well covered no light shines through, and an inordinate amount of air
vents emanate from the basement, police would appreciate it if you
gave them a call.

Your neighbour might be running one of the 10,000 locations growing
copious amounts of marijuana in Quebec - more than half of them in
the Montreal area.

In the wake of a raid on a grow operation on Beaurepaire Drive in
Beaconsfield in late January, the municipality has included a tip
sheet in its monthly newsletter on how to spot grow houses.

"The only way to bust them is when citizens squeal on them," Mayor
Bob Benedetti said.

From 2000 to 2007, officers from Montreal police Station 1, covering
Beaconsfield, Kirkland, Baie d'Urfe, Ste. Anne de Bellevue and
Senneville, raided 42 grow ops on their territory, an average of a
little more than five a year. The majority were found in Beaconsfield
and Kirkland, the most populous municipalities covered by Station 1.

Three grow ops were found on Station 1 territory in 2008.

There are more than 10,000 grow houses in the province, the Surete du
Quebec estimates. The provincial police say half the marijuana
cultivated in Quebec comes from indoor operations, which blossomed
after police cracked down on clandestine plantations in farmers'
fields, wooded areas and empty lots.

Officials calculate Canada's annual marijuana harvest represents a
$10-billion industry, making it three times more lucrative than the
nation's largest legal crop, wheat.

"It's a fairly common problem in residential areas," said Benedetti,
who should know - he lived across the street from a grow op for close
to a year.

He used to joke that it must be a pot-growing house because no one
was ever there, until he went out to pick up his Gazette one morning
and saw several police cars parked out front. A suspicious neighbour
had called in a tip. More than 2,000 plants were found.

Suburbs and small towns appeal to people running grow ops because of
the large number of detached homes in reasonably priced
neighbourhoods that empty out during the day, and the lower
population density, both of which reduce the number of suspicious neighbours.

Homes for rent are especially sought after - so much so, some
insurance companies will refuse to insure a house unless the owner lives in it.

A well-run indoor operation, often backed by organized crime, can
install hundreds or thousands of plants under several high-watt bulbs
and earn more than $1 million in the two to three months required to
harvest plants from seedlings.

The SQ uncovered 600 grow houses in 2006 and 700 in 2005 in Quebec.
Of those, about 90 per cent involved plants grown in pots of earth.
The rest were hydroponic setups that use only water and nutrients.

Residents should be concerned because pot growers often bypass the
house's electrical entry box and tap directly into power lines to
harvest the energy required to power numerous 400- to 1,000-watt
bulbs without alerting Hydro-Quebec.

For example, Longueuil police busted a home in St. Hubert last week
after Hydro-Quebec tipped them off to electricity theft at a house on
Duke St. Police found 1,000 plants and about $20,000 in equipment,
and arrested the 35-year-old occupant.

The electrical bypass can get too hot and cause short circuits, said
Jean-Pierre Levis, community relations officer for Station 1.

"It's not good to have these grow houses in the neighbourhood,
especially when they can catch fire," he said.

Grow houses are often destroyed by the high humidity needed to grow
the plants, which creates mould, reducing the value of the house and
property values around it, Benedetti said.

"Mostly, it introduces a criminal element that's undesirable into a
neighbourhood where there are kids," Benedetti said.

"You're dealing with people who tend to be associated with the more
violent end of criminal activity, biker gangs and those types of organizations.

"When there's a grow op in your neighbourhood, there's always the
possibility someone could accidentally stumble upon something that
could produce a reaction."

Something doesn't smell quite right? Clues to look for

Signs your neighbour might have an illicit green thumb:

House does not appear lived in.

No garbage or recycling put out.

Inconsistencies in visitors to the house, ranging from no one to
frequent visitors for short periods of time.

New owner, but no moving truck ever comes.

Windows are tightly covered so no light escapes.

Windows are not well covered and bright lights are visible.

Windows may be covered in condensation because of high humidity.

Electrical humming coming from inside, caused by components used to
power pumps and lights.

Strange smells from the home.

New air vents installed.

Renovations carried out at odd hours.

Property is untidy, garden neglected, grass unmowed, walkway not shoveled

Residents with suspicions are asked to contact their local police detachment.

- - For Station 1, covering Beaconsfield, Kirkland, Baie d'Urfe, Ste.
Anne de Bellevue and Senneville, the number is 514-280-0101.

- - For Longueuil, the police tips line is 450-646-8500.

- - Laval residents can call 450-662-4636.

All calls are confidential.