MORE POWER IN DRUG FIGHT

LLOYDMINSTER - With four major marijuana busts since mid-October the
Lloydminster RCMP are hard at work getting drugs off city streets.

Last Wednesday police officers across Canada received a helping hand
from the Supreme Court of Canada. In a 7-2 decision the court ruled
police can track electricity usage while investigating marijuana grow
operations.

The ruling stems from a Calgary case where a man was arrested after
police installed a digital recording ammeter, DRA, on his house. The
DRA tracks a household's electricity use.

The police used this and other observations to make an arrest. Gombac
was convicted on two drug-related offences, he appealed.

In Alberta appeals court Gombac appealed on the grounds the DRA search
constituted an illegal search and the court ruled in his favour.

With Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling the use of tracking electricity
patterns to determine if a marijuana grow operation is active is once
again a legal police tool.

For the Lloydminster detachment the ruling provides another tool in
their enforcement repertoire.

"In terms of it being an investigative tool, I'd say it's a positive
for us," said Const. Robert Wilson. "It's a decision that helps us do
our job, definitely."

The most recent local marijuana seizure happened on Nov. 24, which led
to charges against one man. The largest drug seizure of the past few
months included 5.75 ounces of cocaine, 3.5 ounces of cannabis
marijuana, 2.5 pounds of marijuana, 122 ecstasy pills and several
weapons including pool cues, batons, a .22 rifle and a machete. The
operation, which occurred on Oct. 31, led to charges against one man.

RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb, K Division spokesman, said the tracking of
electricity usage is one of several tools police can use to build a
case.

"Where it becomes important to us is it is part of forming the grounds
to obtain a search warrant," said Webb. "It can be used to confirm
there is a suspected marijuana grow operation. It provides some
grounds for us to get a search warrant, but it may provide information
if the electric use is not present, which may give us reason to
believe there is no grow-op."

The use of DRA is not the only tool the police need to find and break
up a grow operation but it does help.

"It is one more tool to use," said Webb. "By no means is it the only
one we would be able to get a search warrant from. You do not get a
search warrant without establishing significant grounds. This is one
of many grounds we would have to establish."