MORE RESOURCES WOULD REVEAL GROW-OPS

Mission police seized more than $3.4 million in marijuana from March 1 to
May 31, but Insp. Pat Walsh says that's just a small sampling of what's
really out there.

"If we had the resources we could have taken down two times or three times
that number," Walsh said on Tuesday. "There are no shortage . . . of targets."

During the past three months Mission RCMP have taken down 15 growing
operations, yielding 5,499 marijuana plants and 81 pounds of dried bud.

The latest bust occurred Monday at 7682 Grand St., when a home caught fire
and firefighters noticed the growing operation and called police. About 250
plants were seized.

Walsh says officers know of more pot operations in Mission, but can't bust
them because of the department's limited resources.

"It's a matter of priorities," said Walsh, noting the time it takes to get
the grounds for a search warrant.

"It's not like it used to be. We can't just go poking around in somebody's
business. Unless we have the specific evidence it's very hard to get a
warrant."