COPS START ANNUAL SEARCH FOR POT

WOODSTOCK - As local farmers' crops begin shooting up so do the illegal
marijuana plants hiding within the fields.

"It's the season," said Chief Ron Fraser. "The plants are starting to get
big right now."

A common problem in rural areas, Fraser said the force will be responding
to all reports and doing some investigating of their own to ensure as many
plants as possible are uprooted.

In fact, Oxford Community Police received the first call regarding outdoor
cultivation of marijuana this season Monday evening in Norwich Township.
Police found 16 plants alongside Gunn's Hill Road.

This year police will be relying even more on the public to help them out
since they likely won't be sending a helicopter up to search for plants
from the air.

"We normally have a helicopter go up and they can look for the different
colours of green in the crops," said Fraser. "This year, we don't think we
are going to send one up. We do a better job with officers on the ground.
In the fours hours the helicopter went up last year, they pulled between
150 to 200 plants, but our officers over the summer pull about 800 to 1000
plants."

Nancy Walther, Norwich farmer, said she has been the victim of culprits
sneaking into her corn fields and planting.

"It is easy for them to come onto the property without your knowledge,"
said Walther. "They come in the springtime and plant. Once it starts
growing, your corn is growing so you don't go back in the fields at all
after you are done spraying. As the corn grows, the marijuana grows and you
don't even know it."

Walther said sometimes people will plant in several small spots throughout
the field, which can cause significant damage to farmers' crops.

Culprits often choose corn crops because the crop grows so high and can
hide the plant said Fraser.

"The plants grow the fastest in corn. Often they will pull corn up and
plant marijuana in that spot."

While indoor grow house operations are on the rise, Fraser said the number
of marijuana plants found outdoors throughout the county has stayed the same.

Since the plant is harvested in September, police have two months to pull
plants.

Fraser said the force finds out about the majority of crops from residents.

"We often find out about most of them through reports of suspcious vehicles
pulled over to the side of the road or people calling into Crime Stoppers.

If you observe anyone suspicious going into remote fields or locations, or
see marijuana growing in fields or wood lots call Crime Stoppers at 421-8477.