POLICE CRACKING DOWN ON GROW-OPS

The Regina Police Service is asking for the public's help in cracking
down on marijuana grow operations.

The service has a new portion of its website designed to inform people
about grow-ops, it was announced at the monthly board of police
commissioners meeting on Tuesday.

"We're not suggesting there's a crisis in our community at all," said
Police Chief Troy Hagen. "This really is a proactive initiative. We
want to engage the public. Hopefully, through this information, the
community will be in a better position to report suspicious activity."

The board heard the risks associated with grow operations are numerous
and can include fire, electrocution, poisonous gases, air
contamination, crime and violence, structural damage to homes and
environmental costs.

A report considered by the board indicated marijuana grow-ops have
existed in Regina for years and the police have long been battling
them. The board heard most of the marijuana that comes into Regina
comes from outside the city, but since 2007 118 charges of producing
cannabis have been laid and 43 grow-ops have been busted by Regina
police.

The police reviewed the websites of 40 other agencies in Canada and
found more than half included information and pictures on marijuana
grow operations. Regina's site includes such features as a map of
grow-ops dismantled between 2007 and 2010, tips for landlords and what
to do if a grow-op is suspected.

It also includes information on partner agencies SCAN (Safer
Communities and Neighbourhoods), Crimestoppers, the Regina Qu'Appelle
Health Region, the City of Regina's community and protective services
department and CFSEU (Combined Forces Selective Enforcement Unit).

"This is a way of scaring off anyone who's considering setting up shop
here in respect to a grow-op and letting them know we're going to be
making our citizens aware of what those signs are and that there's
numbers for them to call," said Mayor Pat Fiacco, board chairman.

As it is hoped the information will educate the public and encourage
neighbours to call in if they suspect a grow-op, the site lists about
20 signs that may indicate an active operation.

Some of the signs include:

- - Tampering with the electrical meter resulting in damaged or broken
seals.

- - No one seen coming in and out of the home or only late at
night.

- - No garbage picked up on garbage day.

- - Cables running to and from odd places and usually along the walkway
or ground.

- - Windows always covered.

- - Additional rooftop venting or build up of ice around the
stack.

- - Odours like "rotten eggs," "skunk," or "rotten cabbage" coming from
the home.

- - Loud noises of fans or venting equipment coming from the home that
makes a "humming" sound.

- - Excessive water hoses hooked up outside, which might also run inside
the home.

- - Localized power surges in the neighbourhood.

For more information, visit the police's website (www.reginapolice.ca).

At its meeting, the board also considered crime statistics for
February. It heard that, since the beginning of the year to the end of
February, violent crime in the city was down by about nine per cent
and property crime was down by about 17 per cent.

During that period, charges related to impaired driving rose -there
were 120 such charges laid in the first two months of this year,
compared to 51 in the same time period of 2010.

One factor is the city's recently introduced RID program, which
encourages motorists to phone in and report drivers they suspect are
impaired. The police received 347 such calls in the first two months
of the year and laid 36 RIDrelated charges, including 28 for impaired
driving.

Police also laid a total of 115 charges for use of a cellphone while
driving in January and February. In the latter month, 61 such tickets
were issued.