ABBOTSFORD DROPS FROM POT TOP 10

The provincial government yesterday announced funding for a pilot project
targeting marijuana grow operations in Abbotsford, just hours after a
ground-breaking study examining pot growing operations in B.C. showed the
province has a "serious" problem with the plantations. The RCMP-funded
study, Marijuana Growing Operations in British Columbia Revisited
1997-2003, builds upon a study released two years ago and found marijuana
cultivation has grown rapidly by volume and value since 1997. The grows
have also become even more sophisticated. Abbotsford had been in the top 10
police jurisdictions for marijuana cultivation cases in 2000 and had
experienced a 196 per cent increase in the number of marijuana cultivation
files opened between 1997 and 2000.

By 2003, Abbotsford had dropped off top 10 list, the report's lead author,
UCFV's Darryl Plecas, found.

"An interesting note is that Delta, Nanaimo and Abbotsford have active
'green teams' to increase the enforcement against marijuana growing
operations," the report indicated.

Delta and Nanaimo also dropped out of the top 10.

Abbotsford Police Chief Ian Mackenzie notes the police department has
implemented some initiatives to deal with grow operations in the city.

"You have to keep pushing . . . putting pressure on it," he said. "When you
let up the pressure, it sometimes comes back." At any given time, there are
an estimated 250 grow operations waiting to be investigated in Abbotsford,
with 90 per cent of them in residential areas.

In 2002, there were 150 grow operations taken down in Abbotsford, and 70 in
2003, because the drug squad was seconded to the homicide team for much of
the year.

As of the end of July, 2004, 55 cases were dealt with by Abbotsford officers.

"Overall, Abbotsford is so much like nearly every other community," Plecas
in an interview. "The sheer number of cases exceeds the capacity of police
to respond."

The report showed police agencies overall were less likely to fully
investigate incidents coming to their attention, with 91 per cent of cases
fully investigated in 1997 and only 52 per cent of cases being fully
investigated in 2003.

Mackenzie challenged that finding for Abbotsford, but notes police
departments do try to place their resources where they will have the most
impact.

"They (police) simply don't have the resources," Plecas said. "I blame
councils for that."

However, he notes Abbotsford has taken steps to address policing levels.

"Other municipalities could do well to follow the example of Abbotsford."

Plecas said the way to deal with the issue is to increase enforcement and
make it more difficult to operate a grow operation.

The report also indicated prosecutors are less likely to accept charges
recommended by police and move forward with them, and judges are less
likely to send an offender to prison for their participation in a grow
operation, despite offenders becoming more prolific and more violent.

The percentage of offenders going to prison has dropped to 10 per cent from
19 per cent, Plecas said.

"That is hardly progress."

He also argues that decriminalization is not the way to go.

"It's a notion that's based on out-dated research," he said, noting new
research is showing the highly addictive properties of marijuana. He also
points to the dangers of grow operations. The likelihood of fire at a grow
house is 24 per cent higher than ordinary house fires, 15 per cent of grow
operations contain at least one hazard and children are present in one in
five grows.

Those issues and health concerns are the impetus behind a pilot project in
Abbotsford that would see fire personnel, building inspectors, bylaw
enforcement, provincial electrical inspectors and police officers inspect
homes that have unusually high electrical power consumption or where a grow
operation is suspected. If the home is found to be a hazard, or an
inspection is not permitted in a reasonable time, water will be shut off.

Yesterday, the province agreed to fund the $100,000 project, and City of
Abbotsford staff are now working on getting the project up and running.

"This is a unique approach to a huge problem in B.C. communities," Mayor
Mary Reeves said, " and we believe this project will have a dramatic impact
on grow ops in Abbotsford."

Plecas said the project is a "step in the right direction," but feels it
could go even further, with power also being cut at homes. One in five
busted grow operations involved theft of hydro. Plecas like to see the
project province-wide.

- - To read a copy of Plecas' study, visit http://www.ucfv.ca