POLICE URGE PUBLIC TO WATCH FOR SIGNS OF MARIJUANA ACTIVITY

Newly worn footpaths, cars parked in remote spots or the sound of machinery
running at night. Kentucky State Police want land owners to stay alert to
such signs this summer as marijuana growers cultivate their illegal crops,
often on someone else's property.

Kentucky is one of the nation's top marijuana-producing states, and law
enforcement annually searches for patches of the unlawful weed and those
who grow it.

Troopers with the KSP Cannabis Suppression Campaign are asking the public
to watch for signs of growers.

Marijuana growers typically cultivate the weed in patches of dense
vegetation on public lands, like the Daniel Boone National Forest, or in
secluded spots on large farms where they can periodically tend to the crop
without detection.

State police ask that landowners look for signs like:

. Worn trails leading to roads, water sources or wooded areas.

. Cars parked in odd or out-of-the-way places.

. Machinery sounds or lights coming from secluded spots at night.

. Signs of trespassing, like scattered trash or newly cut paths.

Police strongly advise against confronting trespassers, particularly since
marijuana growers are known to carry weapons and often booby trap the areas
around their crops.

Instead state police want residents to report trespassers or signs of
possible marijuana cultivation to authorities.

The Cannabis Suppression Campaign allows the public to anonymously report
pertinent information.

The public can either call a toll-free tip line or mail the information to
investigators in Lexington.

Tips should include names and residences of suspected growers, their
residences and the location of their suspected crops.

Residents can call tips into 1-800-367-3847, or mail the information to the
Cannabis Suppression Unit, Bluegrass Station Bldg. 30, 5751 Briar Hill
Road, Lexington, Ky. 40516-9721.