POLICE WANT GROWBUSTERS

Toronto police want to establish a new green squad to deal with the
proliferation of marijuana grow operations in the city -- similar to the
Vancouver Police Department's Growbusters.

Citing concerns about safety, environmental hazards and organized crime,
police are asking the Toronto Police Services Board to consider their
request to establish a 15-member team including two detectives, 12
detective constables and one civilian.

The team's mandate would be to dismantle grow operations that require
"immediate police intervention, such as those discovered due to floods,
fires or during other investigations," says the report prepared by the
police service, dated Feb. 22 and signed by former chief Julian Fantino.

In 2004, the Toronto Drug Squad "attended, assessed, and assisted with the
investigation and dismantling of 320 grow operations," the report said.
It's a dramatic increase compared to the 81 investigations conducted in 2002.

TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE