GROW-OPS TARGETED

Province Moves To Toughen Hydro Legislation

Within hours of police dismantling another indoor marijuana grow operation
in Scarborough, Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter announced steps to
"control" their proliferation.

Kwinter said the proposed legislation would allow electrical distributors
to cut hydro to homes suspected of growing pot without notice, "in
accordance with a court order or for emergency, safety or
system-reliability reasons."

Police officials applauded the move to stem what Toronto police Chief
Julian Fantino yesterday called an "epidemic" of grow-ops. Toronto police
have dismantled 248 indoor grow operations this year.

But one opposition critic said the proposed legislation is "shallow" and
accused the government of misleadingly selling it as something that could
actually help eliminate illegal grow-ops. "This will not eradicate
grow-ops, not as long as there is a market and huge profits to be made,"
MPP Peter Kormos (NDP, Niagara Centre) said after Kwinter introduced the
legislation.

The new legislation doesn't give local utilities any new powers, but
enshrines into statute what already exists in the Fire Protection and
Prevention Act. An official at Hydro One confirmed utilities have the
authority to pull the plug for a variety of reasons, such as non-payment
and suspected theft of power.

Kwinter said the new law will also require building inspections of all
homes, after police have confirmed a grow-op, and order repairs which would
"protect people from purchasing a property that would require thousands of
dollars of repairs."

The bill also doubles maximum penalties for things such as tampering with
wiring, which can cause excessive heating and possibly lead to a fire, and
establishes an account so that proceeds of seized assets from grow-ops,
such as real estate and cars, are earmarked for enforcement and victim
compensation.

Torstar News Service