COMMUNITY A NO GROW

Chestermere Residents Assist Cops In Weeding Out Marijuana

When it comes to drugs in their community, Chestermere residents are up in
arms and aren't going to take anymore.

That may be the reason cops have recently seized more than $6 million in
dope from 13 Chestermere home grow operations in just the last seven weeks.

"We feel the diligence of the community and police are responsible (for the
busts)," said Strathmore RCMP Staff Sgt. Glenn De Goeij.

"(The residents) just decided they're not going to tolerate this behaviour
in their community."

The latest bust took place yesterday when cops hit a home near the
Chestermere golf course.

Inside they discovered about $400,000 worth of pot and the sophisticated
equipment used to grow it.

So far, police have made no arrests in connection with the raid.

That bust came on the heels of a Valentine's Day raid on another
Chestermere home that saw more than 400 pot plants seized -- with an
estimated street value of about $475,000, cops said.

In that same raid, they found a 9mm handgun and a machete.

Calgarian Tien Van Dang, 48, was later charged with several drug- and
weapon-related offences.

Despite the high number of recent busts, De Goeij said it doesn't mean
Chestermere is becoming the pot-growing capital of Alberta.

"It's not just a Chestermere problem, this is going on in just about any
community in the country," he said.

"The difference is this community is doing something about it."

De Goeij said RCMP have been busy informing the public on certain things to
look for -- information that may point to homes where drug activity is
going on.

"The public supplies that information and that's one piece of the puzzle
that helps us get a warrant."

De Goeij said some things that may point to a home grow operation are
fairly easy to spot.

"You look for things like residences that are, for the most part, unlived
in and a variety of different people coming and going at all hours of the
day," he said.

Another key is simple moisture, he added.

"Grows generate a lot of moisture which can be visible on windows," he said.

If you suspect a home near you, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.