POT-GROWING HOMES WILL BE SEIZED

Abbotsford police have cast an interested eye Surrey's way with
developments this week in how that city is handling the thriving
marijuana growing industry. The City of Surrey is cracking down on
residential marijuana-growing operations by seizing the homes the pot
is grown in.

"We're aware of the Surrey situation," Abbotsford police chief Ian
Mackenzie said Tuesday.

On Wednesday he said the force has gone one step further.

"We are in the process of doing one now," the chief told the Times. "I
do think it's the way to go. It does hit the grower's
pocketbook."

Earlier this week a $439,000 Surrey house was forfeited to the federal
government after a woman was convicted of operating a marijuana
growing operation inside it.

On March 4 Surrey RCMP went into the house at 10865 166A St. where
they found a sophisticated pot operation that included 397 pot plants,
a hydro bypass, surveillance cameras and a motion detector that
triggered a switch to shut off the hydro bypass if anyone approached
the electricity meter on the house's exterior.

June 11 Bich Ngoc Vu, 57, pleaded guilty in provincial court to
producing a controlled substance and was sentenced to a 12-month
conditional sentence and, more importantly, the house she owned was
forfeited to the Crown as offence-related property.

"It's based on conviction," Mackenzie said. "You can seize the house
on the approval of the charge."

But he explained that any funds that are recovered through the seizure
will go to federal Crown and not the municipality, nor the police department.

"There is a protocol in place where some of that money comes back,"
Mackenzie said.

But he said having all the money come back to policing would cause
ethical concerns and perception problems for police.

For instance, if busting growing operations proved to be more
profitable than having officers in classrooms, police departments
might put more resources into "green teams" than school liaison programs.

Nonetheless, the chief said that doesn't detract from property
seizures' value as a crime-fighting tool.

"It's a very good tactic," he said. "We're going to be looking at that
as most municipalities will."

The Surrey house seizure marked the first time in B.C. history, and
only the second time in Canada, that a grow-op house has been
forfeited to the Crown.

Nine other Surrey houses have been restrained by the courts [they
cannot be bought or sold] and they are awaiting final disposition
after the criminal trials occur.

Police say marijuana growing operations are driven by organized crime
groups and bring violence and harder drugs into the community. Police
are encouraging members of the public to contact local police if they
suspect a growing operation in their neighbourhood.

The Surrey forfeiture was carried out with the co-operation of the
federal Crown counsel and the federal Department of Justice, who act
on behalf of the Attorney General of Canada.