ABBOTSFORD GROW-OP PROGRAM RECORDS A SUCCESSFUL START

Thirty marijuana grow operations were busted during Abbotsford's Grow Op
Public Safety Pilot Project, and the city is calling the experiment a success.

Launched in the spring, the program involved a municipal public safety
inspection team that received tips, researched and verified information and
took action.

"Grow ops pose a significant health and safety hazard to the neighbourhoods
in which they are operating," said Abbotsford Mayor Mary Reeves. "This
pilot project made our neighbourhoods safer and was an innovative and
resourceful approach to a problem that is prevalent in many communities."

The city's public safety inspection team received approximately 120 tips
during the pilot period.

The city's strategy and procedures for the pilot project were based on the
Community Charter, the fire services act and the controlled substance
property bylaw.

There was zero tolerance for deviations under any of the codes and costs
for bringing the properties back into compliance were borne by the owners
of the properties. This innovative piece of legislation put the onus back
on the property owners and enabled the pilot project to be cost recoverable.

The overall cost of pilot project was $93,000, with $80,000 provided
through a provincial grant and $18,080 recovered under the controlled
substance property bylaw.

During the trial period, only one grow op related fire was reported,
compared to five fires reported during the same period in 2004.

Ten homes had children living in grow ops and in each case, the Ministry of
Children and Family Development was contacted.

At 20 of the houses, electrical bypasses were found and the power was
disconnected until the buildings passed final inspection. All 30 of the
houses will be professionally cleaned and brought up to building code
standards.

Requests for information about the pilot project have come from across the
country in communities as far east as Ontario.

The controlled substance property bylaw will be amended so that all project
costs are fully recoverable. Three permanent public safety teams are in
place to provide ongoing support.