MY GENERATION: MARIJUANA GROW-OP PROBLEM HITS TOO CLOSE TO HOME

News of a horrific murder in my "upscale" Westwood Plateau neighbourhood
travelled quicker than fire. When I first heard, it struck me as a joke.
Something like this only happens on TV and in newspapers, not anywhere near
me. Immediately, I thought of locking my doors more tightly that night,
fearing that the murderer was still lurking out there somewhere. To lose a
sense of security while sitting in one's own home is not something I expect
to experience as a citizen of Canada.

So when an RCMP officer informed my family that the murder was related to
drugs and the attempted theft or "rip" at a marijuana growing operation, I
realized a seemingly distant problem had now become much too close to home.

The number of grow-op residences up on the hill is truly frightening. As
watchful neighbours, we know what is going on. Our homes are built on the
land of the infamous B.C. bud. The elegant, three-floor mansions hide
hundreds of harmful illegal plants. Wonder why these luxurious residences
are picked as crime scenes instead of run-down shacks in the middle of the
woods? Two words: "Westwood Plateau." The posh name, connected to the
well-known golf course, carries such fine connotations that the police are
reluctant to search through house after house to find the culprits and the
hidden goods.

The problem stems from our government's laws. I understand even the most
stringent of laws will not completely stop criminals from breaking them,
but this never-ending cycle of grow-op, bust, grow-op, bust (or more like
grow-op, grow-op, grow, bust) is destroying wonderful and safe neighbourhoods.

How long does it take for the police to officially charge a suspect in a
marijuana growing operation? Far too long. There's no denying that this
grow-up business makes millions of dollars a year. This lagging speed for
solutions and punishments will have no effect on the criminal farmers, who
already own many cannabis houses by the time they are charged for one of them.

This problem has always been around, but in recent years it has
exponentially expanded due to easier transportation of raw materials,
increased number of houses for farming and higher customer demand.

I urge you to think about what will happen if pot is decriminalized, or
even legalized. Grow-op houses will multiply; it is a highly profitable
business. It will then be acceptable for these farmers to ruin houses,
steal electricity and put their neighbours in danger of fire, burglary and
death.

What will become of Westwood Plateau?

What will become of Coquitlam?

The frequent power outages, the "empty" houses with routine ventilation
visits, the invisible owners. I don't want to speculate and suspect anyone
or anything. I want to live in my house and neighbourhood safely without
worrying about drug dealers, grow-op farmers or homicides.

As I stare out of my kitchen window at the serene elegance of Coquitlam's
Westwood Plateau, I pray and hope that in 10 years this place will not have
lost its beauty.