GROW HOUSES WEEDED OUT OF AGINCOURT

Politicians Say Aggressive Tactics Are Paying Off

Aggressive tactics are paying off in the battle against grow houses in
Agincourt, local politicians say.

Two years ago, police raids on marijuana growers were common on some
of the short, looping streets of Ward 39 Councillor Mike Del Grande's
neighboruood in northwest Scarborough. In 2004, two grow operations
were shut down on Elmartin Drive, for example, and three on New Forest
Square.

But after the grow house problem became an issue in the 2003 municipal
and 2004 federal election campaigns, politicians took a get-tough
approach they believe convinced most growers to move on.

Del Grande (Scarborough-Agincourt), who sends a cautioning flyer to
the neighbours wherever a grow house is discovered, keeps a tally on
his website: 27 within the ward in 2004 and 14 in 2005. So far this
year there's been just one, but people still call in their suspicions,
he said this week.

"I've been surprised by how on-side people have gotten."

Last night, around one year after he called police, municipal
officials, Revenue Canada and residents together for a summit
establishing an information-sharing protocol on grow houses, MP Jim
Karygiannis (Scarborough-Agincourt) held a follow-up meeting he hoped
would be "a pat on the back and a shot in the arm" in a local church.

"Just because we licked the problem doesn't mean the problem doesn't
arise again," said the Liberal MP yesterday, adding the message for
the changing community remains, "Get to know who's next door to you."

Grow houses are most frequently found in the northeast and northwest
sections of the city, where homes are spread out and people don't know
everyone around them, said Det.-Sgt. Jim Qualtrough, attached to the
east section of the Toronto Police drug squad.

There are still a large number of marijuana operations in Scarborough
and police across the city have raided close to 100, on track to match
the 400 shut down last year.

Until recently, there was once a "backlog" of complaints to police,
making it easier for growers to harvest crops before the law moved in,
Qualtrough admitted, but citizens have become better versed at
identifying grow houses and police are swifter in responding to tips.

"The message seems to be getting out," he said, adding Del Grande and
Karygiannis "have done an excellent job of educating their
constituents."

Yesterday, Del Grande supported a city council motion from fellow Ward
40 Councillor Norm Kelly (Scarborough-Agincourt) to support a required
on-title disclosure that a home has been used a grow house, since
toxic mould, chemical residue and structural damage can result from
indoor marijuana farming.

"Today, you really don't know what you're buying," Del Grande
said.

FACTBOX

Police and local politicians say there are ways to spot a home being
used to grow marijuana. Here are some tips:

- - the house does not appear "lived in" and things are moved in and out
at odd hours.

- - people often back into the garage to enter the home

- - the windows are always covered

- - there's condensation on the windows or bright lights on
inside

- - there's no snow on the roof when other roofs have
snow.

If you suspect a house contains a marijuana operation, call Crime
Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.