WE'RE #1

Chilliwack is number one among cities for marijuana growing offences on a
per capita basis.

For overall grow-op offences, the city was sixth in B.C. based on numbers
from 2003.

These figures made up just one small sample of an RCMP-funded study
released by the University College of Fraser Valley on Friday. It was the
second report in a long-term study that began with a look at the state of
growing operations since 1997. The first report was released in 2002 and
found there were 177 files opened in Chilliwack during 2000-a 200-per-cent
increase over four years.

The new study shows little has changed and, in many ways, the situation has
gotten more out-of-hand. In 2003, there were 204 files.

"This is a problem that is continuing to worsen," said Darryl Plecas, the
UCFV criminology professor and lead author of the study.

One of the major reasons the marijuana business continues to grow, he said,
is the inability for the criminal justice system to impose harsh
punishments on people caught producing marijuana.

"Since our last report that likelihood has decreased," Plecas said.

In many cases charges against suspects are stayed, and when they are not,
the people, if found guilty, rarely spend time in jail. Only at the point
of the ninth offence does it become more likely than not for an offender to
do jail time.

"They're operating in a manner as if to say, 'so what if we get caught on
this one'."

Between 1997 and 2003, there was a noticeable drop in the percentage of
cases where jail time was imposed. At the same time there was a marked
increase in the use of conditional sentencing where the defendant serves
the sentence in the community under various conditions.

In 1997, prison sentences were given in 19 per cent of the cases while
conditional sentences were used only in 15 per cent. In 2003, the
percentage for prison had dropped to 10 per cent while conditional
sentences were handed out in 41 per cent of the cases. Plecas is critical
of the practices of giving people involved in organized crime such sentences.

"I'm sure that was never the intent of Parliament when they moved to
conditional sentencing."

Another trend has been some growth of the illegal trade in rural areas.
Chilliwack, by designation, falls somewhere in between the urban and the rural.

"I would liken Chilliwack to a rural city," Plecas said.

Chilliwack, along with Kelowna and Prince George are cited as examples of
the migration of the grow-op business into 'relatively rural' areas from
larger cities.

Some communities did make headway in fighting local grow-ops, particularly
Nanaimo, Delta and Abbotsford, which all fell off the last top 10 list.
These, Plecas said, had all taken actions such as establishing police
'green teams' to deal specifically with grow-ops.

Plecas added that the criminal justice system is under-resourced to deal
with the problem, but the ultimately much will depend on what sentences are
handed out to growers. Until then the crop will continue to be a lucrative
thorn in the side of the authorities.

"It is the single biggest fundraiser for organized crime. Why should we do
anything to support that?"