POLICE JOIN FORCES TO BUST GROW OPS

AIRDRIE ECHO -- Thanks to top-notch investigative work and the
coordination of area law enforcement agencies, four marijuana grow
operations were taken down in Airdrie last week.

On the morning of Feb. 2, members of the Southern Alberta Marijuana
Investigative Team (SAMIT) -- working with Airdrie RCMP members and
Calgary Police Service (CPS) tactical teams -- executed search
warrants on four houses in the Canals subdivision, three on Canals
Close and one on Canoe Square, all of which have been condemned. In
total, the team found approximately 2,000 plants worth more than $2
million, Airdrie RCMP Staff Sgt. Garth Patterson said.

Praising the work of Const. Nathan Rondeau and Const. Richard
Fournier, of the Airdrie RCMP general investigative service, Patterson
said that the warrants were the result of a great deal of legwork by
the investigating officers, as well as tips from the public.

While debate carries on across the country about whether or not to
legalize marijuana, the ramifications of the drug trade and its
connection to organized crime continue to be felt in communities both
large and small. Recent drive-by shootings in Calgary are indications
of the issues which go along with such criminal activity and how it
can touch even those not involved, said RCMP Staff Sgt. Birnie Smith,
commander of the Calgary drug section.

"There have also been home invasions," Smith said. "It's all the stuff
that goes with it."

In an effort to raise public awareness, Smith said that citizens can
help by keeping an eye open for indications of marijuana grow
operations in their neighbourhoods.

Signs of such activity include: no snow on the roof when all other
houses are coated with snow; dark staining on the siding, under
windows and dryer vents; blackout blinds or blinds closed at all
times; condensation on and around windows; a skunky smell; and unusual
activity, including neighbours who are never seen or various people
who come and go at all hours.

"There's a real pattern," Smith said, adding that marijuana grow
operations tend to be set up almost exclusively in houses with
attached front garages, so those running them can drive in, attend to
the operation and then drive away without being seen in person.

"It's the old adage -- know your neighbour," he added.

For their part, both Patterson and Smith encourage people to either
phone police directly or call Crime Stoppers to report suspicious activity.

"That can all be recorded anonymously," Patterson said. "If you think
it's suspicious, phone us."

Smith agreed, adding that tips from the public are only the
beginning.

"Your phone call is the first step," he said. "We then have to do a
complete and thorough investigation."

While police can do much in terms of keeping the community safe,
Patterson added, residents really do play an important role in crime
prevention.

"This is a community issue -- it's not just an RCMP problem," he
said.

For now, the RCMP is working more closely than ever before with its
policing partners, Patterson said. That includes not only partnering
with CPS and other law enforcement agencies, but also with the Airdrie
policing committee and community organizations. In this way, he said,
police can make the most of the limited resources they do have. And,
he added, Airdrie RCMP will continue to be vigilant in the fight
against drugs and crime in the community.

"One grow op is too many, because organized crime brings with it
violence," Patterson said. "We will be aggressively targeting any
criminal organization that makes its way into Airdrie."