POLICE DO BATTLE WITH POT GROWERS

Green Sweep 3 A Success

"Green Sweep 3" might sound like a movie sequel but to Halton Regional
Police it's another installment in the ongoing battle against prolific --
and potentially dangerous ---marijuana growing operations.

Last week officers raided three homes, one in Burlington, two in Oakville.
Together with an Oakville house shut down on Nov. 6, police seized 2,368
marijuana plants worth $2.4 million, plus $50,000 of growing equipment.

According to Deputy Chief Gary Crowell, such illegal operations "plague
communities" and present "a serious threat to public safety."

"These operations are not one-shot deals ... but are well-planned,
organized criminal activity," said Crowell, adding that one grow house can
yield four crops annually and earn $1.2 million or more a year. Aside from
the cultivation of illegal drugs, theft of electricity and the dangers
presented to peace officers and firefighters, grow houses provide a
reminder of how far some people will go for money -- a point underscored by
the Nov. 21 bust at a home in Burlington.

It was there, explained Sgt. Val Hay, that officers found 50 marijuana
plants and growing equipment, plus dangerous wiring, high carbon monoxide
levels and super-heated, 1,000-watt bulbs that can explode if touched. This
was also the environment in which three children lived along with the two
adult occupants arrested by police. The children are staying with friends
until their parents are out of custody.

At an Oakville home raided earlier this month, police and hydro workers
disabled a hydroelectric bypass and found 280 marijuana plants worth
$280,000, plus $35,000 in hydroponics equipment. Two individuals face
charges in this case.

On Nov. 20, police seized 303 plants at another Oakville house. Forensic
work done by the identification bureau found fingerprints that Hay said
will lead to warrants being issued for one suspect's arrest. On Nov. 21,
police executed a warrant at yet another Oakville home where they seized
2,015 plants in what officers describe as a "very sophisticated" operation.
Again, identification bureau work will lead to warrants being issued for
another suspect, say police.

The latest Green Sweep (one was held in January, another in April) has
added to the ongoing total of grow operations shut down and reveals that
the problem is nowhere close to slowing down. According to Crowell, there
were no grow operations shut down in 2000, a number which grew to 20 in
2001 and 46 so far this year. All totalled, police have seized $17-million
worth of drugs.

"We know there are more out there," said Crowell, who is asking the public
to remain vigilant and keep an eye open for suspicious or unusual behaviour
in order to shrink this number.

To that end, residents are encouraged to be aware of signs such as houses
whose residents only sporadically attend, appear vacant most of the time
and are allowed to become unkempt. Unusual smells may sometimes be detected
emanating from a grow house while some or all of the windows may be
covered. Bright lights may occasionally be seen in the home. The public
awareness campaign appears to be paying off, since Hay said the seizures
made this month were the direct result of tips received by police and Crime
Stoppers.

According to Crowell, it is in the community's interest to remain aware
since grow houses have impacts many citizens may not have considered. For
example, they compound the dangers faced by firefighters, who might respond
to a blaze only to face a situation far more hazardous than that offered by
a normal house. Because of the radical alterations done to these buildings
in order to steal electricity and vent tell-tale fumes, the structural
integrity can be so compromised that fire crews can encounter unstable
walls, higher temperatures, electrocution and - in some cases - even booby
traps.

Al McWhirter, a former police officer and now a broker/manager with RE/MAX
Aboutowne Realty, said owners of a former grow house can face problems
dealing with their insurance company and difficulties in selling the
property since disclosure of the home's illegal past is necessary. Buyers
can also face problems, such as mould, years down the road.

"The buyer must be protected after the fact," said McWhirter, who in July
hosted a seminar on the issue attended by 120 Realtors. "Consumers should
understand what they're paying for."

Owners can also find themselves on the hook for the cost of stolen
electricity, which Bob Myers, of Oakville Hydro, says the utility is
determined to recoup. His company has reclaimed $450,000 of the estimated
$520,000 worth of power stolen in connection with Oakville grow houses in
the past 12 months, so that these losses are not passed on to customers at
large.

Myers also explained that the practice of bypassing hydro meters and
rewiring homes affects not only dollar losses, but also the chance of fire
and the security of the entire electric system.