DRUGS: COUNCILLOR TARGETS DRUG HOUSES

A New Bylaw That Would Take A Stand Against Drug Labs And Make Homes
Safe For Families Is Being Proposed By A Langley Township Councillor.

Jordan Bateman grew up and went to school in Langley.

He is a young husband and father, a homeowner, and a member of
Township Council.

That's why, for the sake of his family and others in the community,
Bateman said a stand must be taken against drugs now - and it must be
taken at a municipal level.

"I'm tired of idle chatter," said Bateman. "We want to see results
and success."

"We can't put people in jail," he said of what Township Council can
do to cope with the drug problem, "but we can make it very difficult
for drug dealers and producers to do business."

"We can pull up the welcome mat," he said.

Bateman is proposing that Council enact a bylaw that would make it
hard for Langley houses to be used as drug labs, and ensure that
those who live in homes where labs once existed will be healthy and safe.

The bylaw would be similar to ones used in neighbouring
municipalities, and would condemn houses used as meth labs or pot
grow-ops until all damage is repaired, and the home is brought up to
specific health and safety requirements.

The possibility of noting the presence of drug labs on the land
titles or tax notices should also be investigated, Bateman said, to
ensure potential new buyers know what they are dealing with.

Bateman estimates there are 500 to 1,000 clandestine drug labs in
Langley Township, a problem that hit close to home a couple of years
ago when a dozen grow-ops were busted within 15 months in
Murrayville's upscale, high-end Hillcrest development.

The area has since been cleaned up, said Bateman, who moved into the
neighbourbood last summer with his wife and two-year-old daughter.

But the discovery of so many drug labs in one area illustrates how
easy it is for drug producers - many of whom are members of organized
crime - to set up shop.

The problem, Bateman said, is absentee landlords and irresponsible
property owners who turn a blind eye when renting out homes.

Through the proposed bylaw, landlords would be made accountable by
making it difficult to resell a home used as a drug lab, until
specific standards are met.

It would also force landlords to inspect their property every three
months, which would potentially interrupt the growing cycle of
marijuana plants.

Currently, the B.C. Real Estate Association requires sellers to
indicate whether a property has been used as a drug lab, but the
system has no legal teeth.

If a home has been patched over, but not properly cleaned and
repaired, it is easy for new tenants to simply start up another drug
lab, said Bateman, and more importantly, it poses health risks to
those who move in afterwards.

Chemicals used in drug labs and the mold and mildew they produce can
remain in the walls, carpeting, and curtains of a home, and have
harmful physical and neurological effects on people, especially small children.

"The Township has no set regulation on how to bring those houses up
to standard," he said of an issue that would be addressed by his
proposed bylaw.

Homes used as labs would be labeled uninhabitable until those
standards were met and the homes are given a clean bill of health by
a fire chief or building inspector.

"We're closing a legislative loophole and ensuring buildings are
restored to their proper condition," said Bateman, who planned to
introduce the bylaw as a notice of motion on Monday evening, during
Township Council's Feb. 6 meeting.

The motion would be discussed the following week.

According to Bateman, Langley is in a position to take a serious
stand against drugs.

"All the pieces are here," he said, noting that the Township has
developed a Community Safety Commission, and enacted a bylaw that
puts the financial burden of dealing with drug labs on landowners,
not taxpayers.

The community is well-educated about the drug issue, Bateman added,
noting that Inspector Janice Armstrong, the new head of the Langley
RCMP detachment, comes from Ridge-Meadows, which boasts a successful
anti-drug program.

"We have a mayor and Council that is taking this seriously, and a
staff that is willing to roll up its sleeves to get the work done,"
said Bateman, who wants to ensure that local law enforcers have the
tools they need.

"It occurred to me that if the Township isn't a safer, cleaner, more
sustainable place to live in 20 years, I have no one to blame but
myself," he said. "Many families want this issue dealt with."

Bateman encouraged any residents with ideas about how to fight drugs
in the community to contact him at jbateman@tol.bc.ca or call 604-340-9385.