RAID OF 'GROW-OP' NETS NOTHING

It's Thursday mid-morning and the owner of a house east of Cloverdale
stands at his gate talking to a fire captain, an electrical inspector
and two RCMP officers.

The four men at his gate are an electrical and fire safety inspection
(EFSI) team created by the city to uncover and shut down marijuana
grow-ops in Surrey. EFSI teams work the long list of tips received by
police, using B.C. Hydro records to pinpoint residences with unusually
high power consumption. The team then gives 48 hours' notice they
intend to inspect the house. If access is refused the electricity is
cut off until permission is granted.

The idea is to interrupt the production of marijuana and hopefully
push the clandestine business right out of Surrey.

Someone called in a tip on the Cloverdale house and notices of
inspection were posted on the gate and front door a couple of days
earlier. The owner says his home was entered the same day. "They broke
into my house a couple of days ago. I came home and the doors and
windows were open."

Fire Capt. Ron Cross tells him the team came to talk to him and found
a door open. "We were not in there. We found the door ajar and the
RCMP went in to clear the room. It's standard procedure to make sure
nobody's injured, that kind of thing," Cross says.

The owner is suspicious of the city's intentions, believing the
officials are there on a "fishing expedition" for bylaw infractions
they can charge him with.

"It seems to be a ruse by the city to get on to properties by
declaring them to be grow-ops," the homeowner said.

His is a large house on an acreage. He uses part of it as office space
and rents out the rest to several tenants. The man says he's inspected
the place himself and found no evidence of any illegal activity.

"We don't even have an African violet growing in a window."

The homeowner doesn't want his name published because he's afraid he
could become the target of burglars or home invaders who might want to
rip off his non-existent grow-op.

He's not the only fearful one. The city electrical inspector on the
team doesn't want his name or photo published either, afraid he could
be targeted for reprisals from the criminal element.

For 15 minutes the team reassures the homeowner they're just there to
clear the grow-op tip from the files, then the owner leads them up the
driveway to the house. The earlier tension has subsided and the
inspectors take pains to be friendly and put the owner at ease.

Hydro reported higher-than-expected electrical consumption at the
house, but the reason soon becomes apparent.

As they are about to enter, the owner tells the inspection team his
house is 6,000 square feet (549 square metres). On hearing that, Cross
thumbs through a sheaf of papers on his clipboard. "It's on our
records as a 2,000-square foot house," Cross says.

The electrical inspector agrees the difference in size could easily
account for the higher power consumption.

One by one the rooms are checked and the owner's protestations of
innocence are confirmed. The inspection team is satisfied; there is no
grow-op and no sign there ever was one in the house. It's suggested
the owner carry out a couple of minor safety improvements to the
electrical system and the team leaves.

The owner is relieved.

"I think it went better because the media were here," he says.

"They were more aggressive before."