INSPECTION LIKENED TO VISIT BY GESTAPO, MAFIA

A City of Abbotsford team that inspects properties for marijuana
grow-ops has been likened to the Gestapo and the Mafia by two men
impacted by a decision to temporarily close a house on Redwood Avenue.

Speaking on behalf of the owner of 34211 Redwood Ave. on Monday, Peter
Walker criticized the city team and Abbotsford Police for their
handling of an inspection that ultimately saw the home shut down for
safety reasons.

According to Walker, the tenant living in the property was "thrown
into a police car" before the house was inspected.

Walker then claimed the tenant's personal belongings, including a
computer, were viewed by police.

"It is like the Mafia -- you can just walk in and throw a tenant out?"
Walker said.

The owner of the property was also present at the meeting.

"This is the Gestapo, this is Russia basically," he told city
councillors at their Monday afternoon meeting.

The City of Abbotsford's Public Safety Inspection Team, acting under
city bylaws, gives the owner of a suspicious property 24 hours notice
before it is inspected.

If the inspection uncovers safety issues, the provincial Community
Charter allows council to file a notice against the property that
closes it down until the identified problems are remedied.

According to the inspection team, 34211 Redwood Ave. contained six
separate "safety concerns" and four other elements that contravened
the City of Abbotsford's Controlled Substance Property Bylaw.

Coun. Bruce Beck took exception to the comments made against the
city's inspection team.

"I personally find your comments about the city to be incredibly
distasteful and inaccurate . . . this is not heavy handedness . . .
for you to compare this to something as distasteful as Nazi Germany or
communist Russia is beyond the pale," he said.

Coun. Christine Caldwell said the case should be investigated further.
She also said councillors should be given more information before
being expected to make a decision as to whether to approve the closure
of a property.

"It is hard to be the judge. Who do we believe?" she
said.

Coun. Dave Loewen, who like Caldwell won a seat on council for the
first time in November, said he had felt "uneasy" on more than one
occasion when it came to deciding how council should deal with the
properties identified by the inspection team.

"I have no evidence to support this, but we are hearing such
conflicting accounts," he said.

"I am questioning whether we know everything we should. If there is
any shred of truth to anything we have heard today, I would be angry."

Administration director Toireasa Strong said the role of the
inspection team is solely to protect public safety.

By issuing non-occupancy notices swiftly, she said it ensures the
properties are not quickly sold to unsuspecting members of the public.

"I can not stress any stronger how important the public's safety is to
us . . . we are here to protect the members of the public who can't
protect themselves," she said.

The Redwood Avenue case, which was one of 13 properties that came
before council on Monday, was ultimately deferred until next Monday's
council meeting.