CITY SIGNS GROW OP PACT

The city of Pembroke has entered into a protocol with its police
service to deal with marijuana grow operations if and when they are
encountered within the municipality.

Coun. Gary Severin, who also serves as the chairman of the Pembroke
Police Services Board, introduced a resolution authorizing the signing
of the agreement.

"The purpose of this protocol is to assist the police service and the
municipality to provide an effective and coordinated response when
dealing with premises that have operated as a marijuana grow
operation," he said. "This way, when we have a grow op busted, it will
ensure we have a way to restore the building to a safe condition."

The existence of marijuana grow ops has become a major concern for
municipalities, fire departments and law enforcement agencies.
Operators of these illegal operations have been known to do their own
electrical wiring as they hook up lamps and other equipment used in
the cultivation of marijuana. That and the habit of grow op owners to
set up traps to protect the crop tends to make the building unsafe and
a fire hazard.

Under revisions to the Ontario Municipal Act municipalities are
responsible for taking certain actions once notified by police about a
property identified as housing a grow operation.

The protocol outlines what those steps would be for both the police
and the city. Once the city is notified a grow op has been discovered,
the municipality is obligated to supply the police with the name of
the registered owner of the property, take appropriate inspection
measures to identify and list all of the hazards, and continue to
liaise with police.

The police would handle everything else, including the investigation,
securing the scene, removal of materials, and contacting agencies as
needed such as the utilities, fire services, the Children's Aid
Society and Immigration.

Both the police and fire departments are planning to jointly address
council on the subject of grow ops at the Sept. 18 meeting.