News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: A Growing Concern |
| Title: | CN BC: A Growing Concern |
| Published On: | 2010-02-18 |
| Source: | Mission City Record (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2010-04-02 11:58:28 |
A GROWING CONCERN
Marijuana grow ops can pop up just about anywhere in any community. No
neighbourhood is immune, and Mission is no exception. Police
investigate and take down these illegal grow operations from one end
of town to another, and are beginning to map the progress.
These maps are created by the detachment's crime analyst and presented
as information to the public. They can be viewed on the Mission RCMP
website at www.mission.rcmp.ca.
The maps also remind residents grow ops can happen in any
neighbourhood, even yours, said Cpl. Sharon Siluch.
They only show homes that have been busted, and provide a comparison
from year to year.
Last year police took down 50 marijuana grows operations and seized
41,103 plants and 105,743 grams of dried marijuana bud worth about
$1,057,430.
In 2008, 88 grow ops were busted, and there were 65 in
2007.
So far this year, police have been busy with three.
The RCMP street crime unit, with one officer dedicated to grow ops, is
mainly responsible for investigating and taking down these illegal
operations. The team can be extremely busy, depending on the number of
reports and priorities.
Police say a lot of tips come in from residents who suspect there is a
grow op in their neighbourhood, and through Crime Stoppers, an
anonymous tip line for police.
Not all grow ops are gang-related, but most of them are affiliated
with criminal activity, according to police.
Regular people could grow the crop, but they still have to find
someone to buy it, Siluch explained. She added nobody will admit
organized crime is funding their operation.
"There are ones that are legal, and regulated through Health Canada,
but we are aware of them," said Siluch.
The regulated grows are for medicinal purposes and there is a limit to
how many plants they can have.
But even these legalized ones are not immune to violence associated
with illegal operations.
Last week, three to five masked individuals barged into a home in the
9400 block of Barret Street and pepper sprayed the occupants in a grow
rip, said Siluch.
The occupants managed to escape from the home and called police when
they thought they were safe to do so. When police arrived, the
suspects already fled.
Marijuana was growing at the home legally, said Siluch, but the
invaders, who somehow heard about the grow, ripped it off because they
feared it would be competition for them.
Police don't know if the suspects were male or female, and the
incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information about
this crime is asked to call the Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161 or Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Other Dangers
Violence is a risk for anyone growing marijuana.
"Grow ops are targets for grow rips," said Siluch.
There could be booby traps set up around the property to attack anyone
trying to rip off the plants, making it dangerous for police who do
the busts too.
We are also seeing more firearms and other weapons, such as bear spray
and bats, in homes to protect the crop, said Siluch.
Grow rips aren't always reported to police, but sometimes officers are
aware of them because there's a report of a break and enter or someone
is at the hospital with suspicious injuries, such as a gunshot wound,
or they are beaten up badly, and the medical staff at the hospital
call police.
But there are other dangers as well. There are fire risks, health
risks and almost always damage to the home.
Because marijuana plants require special lights which use a lot of
electricity, growers usually find a way to bypass the hydro line to
the house.
They rewire the home and oftentimes the work isn't clean or proper. As
a result, the circuit boards get overloaded, and a fire could break
out.
When firefighters are called in to put out a fire, police are also
notified if there is a grow op on the property.
If people are living in the same house where there is a marijuana grow
op, their health can be compromised.
The chemicals used to feed the plants is very toxic, Siluch explained.
The house is usually very moist too, creating an ideal condition for
mildew, fungus and black mould.
Breathing this stuff in isn't good for you, said Siluch, noting that's
why sometimes officers working to dismantle a grow op will wear white
bio hazard suits.
Marijuana grow ops can pop up just about anywhere in any community. No
neighbourhood is immune, and Mission is no exception. Police
investigate and take down these illegal grow operations from one end
of town to another, and are beginning to map the progress.
These maps are created by the detachment's crime analyst and presented
as information to the public. They can be viewed on the Mission RCMP
website at www.mission.rcmp.ca.
The maps also remind residents grow ops can happen in any
neighbourhood, even yours, said Cpl. Sharon Siluch.
They only show homes that have been busted, and provide a comparison
from year to year.
Last year police took down 50 marijuana grows operations and seized
41,103 plants and 105,743 grams of dried marijuana bud worth about
$1,057,430.
In 2008, 88 grow ops were busted, and there were 65 in
2007.
So far this year, police have been busy with three.
The RCMP street crime unit, with one officer dedicated to grow ops, is
mainly responsible for investigating and taking down these illegal
operations. The team can be extremely busy, depending on the number of
reports and priorities.
Police say a lot of tips come in from residents who suspect there is a
grow op in their neighbourhood, and through Crime Stoppers, an
anonymous tip line for police.
Not all grow ops are gang-related, but most of them are affiliated
with criminal activity, according to police.
Regular people could grow the crop, but they still have to find
someone to buy it, Siluch explained. She added nobody will admit
organized crime is funding their operation.
"There are ones that are legal, and regulated through Health Canada,
but we are aware of them," said Siluch.
The regulated grows are for medicinal purposes and there is a limit to
how many plants they can have.
But even these legalized ones are not immune to violence associated
with illegal operations.
Last week, three to five masked individuals barged into a home in the
9400 block of Barret Street and pepper sprayed the occupants in a grow
rip, said Siluch.
The occupants managed to escape from the home and called police when
they thought they were safe to do so. When police arrived, the
suspects already fled.
Marijuana was growing at the home legally, said Siluch, but the
invaders, who somehow heard about the grow, ripped it off because they
feared it would be competition for them.
Police don't know if the suspects were male or female, and the
incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information about
this crime is asked to call the Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161 or Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Other Dangers
Violence is a risk for anyone growing marijuana.
"Grow ops are targets for grow rips," said Siluch.
There could be booby traps set up around the property to attack anyone
trying to rip off the plants, making it dangerous for police who do
the busts too.
We are also seeing more firearms and other weapons, such as bear spray
and bats, in homes to protect the crop, said Siluch.
Grow rips aren't always reported to police, but sometimes officers are
aware of them because there's a report of a break and enter or someone
is at the hospital with suspicious injuries, such as a gunshot wound,
or they are beaten up badly, and the medical staff at the hospital
call police.
But there are other dangers as well. There are fire risks, health
risks and almost always damage to the home.
Because marijuana plants require special lights which use a lot of
electricity, growers usually find a way to bypass the hydro line to
the house.
They rewire the home and oftentimes the work isn't clean or proper. As
a result, the circuit boards get overloaded, and a fire could break
out.
When firefighters are called in to put out a fire, police are also
notified if there is a grow op on the property.
If people are living in the same house where there is a marijuana grow
op, their health can be compromised.
The chemicals used to feed the plants is very toxic, Siluch explained.
The house is usually very moist too, creating an ideal condition for
mildew, fungus and black mould.
Breathing this stuff in isn't good for you, said Siluch, noting that's
why sometimes officers working to dismantle a grow op will wear white
bio hazard suits.
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