GROW-OPS AREN'T JUST A POLICE PROBLEM

Supt. Ward Clapham Says It's A Community Concern

Richmond's top cop says it's high time the proliferation of marijuana grow
operations becomes a community problem, not just an RCMP problem.

"I fear that this will continue to be the status quo, and I don't know what
the breaking point will be before we as an entire society and community say
enough is enough," said Supt. Ward Clapham.

Clapham was responding to a question from Mayor Malcolm Brodie at Monday's
council meeting about whether the city's team of police officers dedicated
to busting grow-ops is enough to fight the battle against bud.

Clapham said after all the media exposure surrounding grow-ops over the
last few months, he thought something would have changed to make the issue
a top priority for the community-including government and non-governmental
agencies.

"That hasn't happened," he told council. "If we own the problem together,
we'll be much more successful."

A study released last month from Darryl Plecas of the University College of
the Fraser Valley details problems arising from marijuana growing
operations in B.C. He found there is an increasing number of grow-ops and
it's becoming increasingly apparent that grow-ops pose a risk to public
safety, yet the criminal justice system is increasingly unable to respond.

Police officers and firefighters face the danger of grow-ops every day. So
does the community, said Clapham, citing a recent example of a violent home
invasion in Richmond. Suspects burst into a home attempting to rip off a
grow-op, and were later caught.

"I fear it's just a matter of time before somewhere somebody gets seriously
hurt or we have a major fire. I worry for our fire officers, the men and
women that attend these fires having no idea what they're going into."

Clapham said one of the difficulties officers face is obtaining a search
warrant.

Last month, Richmond RCMP busted 19 grow-ops in a 90-unit rental townhouse
complex. But police only gained access to the units after the property
manager posted 24-hour emergency inspection notices on suspected drug
units. By the time police gained entry, most of the plants had been cleared
out.

"It's very difficult to get the grounds for a search warrant for one
residence, let alone 19 separate residences."

Clapham did point to a positive development-a bylaw that would charge
landlords the policing and city costs associated with busting a grow-op.

"The draft (of the bylaw) is very aggressive in the fact it makes Richmond
not a place where you want to run a grow-op," he said.

Clapham said if residents suspect a grow-op they should notify the RCMP
right away, giving directly or indirectly all the information they have,
and work with the RCMP in helping obtain a search warrant.