RECENT POT BUST HAS POLICE THIRSTING FOR MORE

RCMP Calls On City Residents For Assistance

Airdrie RCMP are asking for public assistance in tracking down more
marijuana grow operations in the city.

Following a Jan. 30 bust of two extensive operations -- which netted more
than 1,100 plants with a street value of approximately $1.5 million --
local police say they are sure there are more such houses in Airdrie, but
community input is essential in identifying where they are.

"We believe that there's a little bit more of this going on," Airdrie RCMP
Const. Corrie Gordashko said. "We're looking for more tips to come into
police so we can target homes and surveil them."

One of the reasons Airdrie and other communities in the Calgary area are
attractive to people involved in cultivating marijuana is that new homes
are being built at a rapid pace -- and some of these houses are being
bought with grow operations specifically in mind.

"It's the newer houses that these grow operations are going into,"
Gordashko said. "These are homes where they're purchased for the grow
operations solely."

Recent busts in Airdrie and other communities across Canada have
demonstrated that the problem is not one confined to large municipalities
alone. Strathmore RCMP have had their hands full in shutting down 16
operations since January -- 13 in Chestermere, one in Strathmore and two in
the rural area. According to Strathmore RCMP Staff Sgt. Glenn De Goeij,
community involvement is of the essence.

"We regularly receive information from the community," De Goeij said.
"Without the support of the communities, our efforts are diminished."

Aside from the criminal aspect, one of the reasons officials are concerned
is that grow operations can constitute a threat to public safety. According
to Publishers Group — a private U.S.-based organization which offers
training and education on street drugs — facilities in which marijuana is
grown pose such hazards as:

* heightened risk of explosion, because of use of fertilizer made with
ammonium nitrate;

* high risk of electrical fire, because extra electricity is necessary and
wiring is often done by an untrained person; and

* possibility of increased criminal activity other than the grow operation
itself. And as the street value of marijuana has risen, Publishers Group
manager Mike Leonard said, so, too, has the profit margin, leading to more
such grow operations.

"There is more activity in that regard," Leonard said.

With those facts in mind, police continue to encourage citizens to become
involved by being aware of what is going on in their own neighbourhoods.
That said, though, Gordashko is quick to point out that tips from the
public need not be directed only to police -- Crime Stoppers is a
tried-and-true method of relaying information anonymously. Either way, she
and her colleagues want members of the public to be observant and to feel
comfortable calling with any tips or suspicions.

"It's happening in many of the communities across this country," De Goeij
said. "The communities that we police are not going to tolerate this."

Anyone with information may call the Airdrie RCMP detachment at 948-3220 or
Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). For more information on street
drugs, log onto the Publishers Group Web site at: www.streetdrugs.org

Keep an eye out for the signals

What to look for in detecting marijuana indoor cultivation operations:

* excess condensation -- humidity inside grow rooms usually hovers around
65 per cent, which will manifest itself through condensation on windows;

* covered windows -- to prevent light from escaping or outside light from
interfering with artificial light cycles needed for plant growths;

* strong smell -- marijuana plants have an odour described as similar to
rotting cabbage or skunk-like, a smell which may be masked with moth balls
or air fresheners;

* unusual noises -- humming sounds, similar to a those from a transformer,
created by the electrical components in an indoor operation may be heard;

* bright lights -- high-intensity 1,000-watt lamps, such as those used in
outdoor swimming pools, school gymnasiums and baseball parks, are normally
used;

* unkept yard or property -- yards may be littered with such equipment as
pots, nutrient containers, wiring, soil and pvc piping;

* unusual visitor behaviour -- there may be inconsistencies in visitor
behaviour, ranging from no visitors to frequent visitors who stay for short
periods of time.

- -- Courtesy of RCMP Drug Awareness Service, E Division, Vancouver