HYDRO TAKES HIT FOR BUNGLED RAID

CAMBRIDGE -- Cambridge and North Dumfries Hydro did not properly calculate
the hydro usage of a home before sending police to break down the door in
search of a home-grow operation.

A statement and public apology were released yesterday by the hydro company
explaining the mistake that led investigators to believe an innocent
Cambridge family was growing marijuana inside their home.

John Grotheer, president and CEO of Cambridge and North Dumfries Hydro,
told The Record that an internal investigation revealed a diversion meter,
which measures the flow of electricity to a house before it goes through a
hydro meter, indicated the Ng home was using a suspicious amount of hydro.
However, when the hydro usage of equipment inside their home was
calculated, "we understood that our calculations were in error," Grotheer said.

The Hilborn Avenue home in east Galt belongs to Fung Han and Shiu Ng, who
were caught by surprise on July 24 when police accused them of stealing
hydro in order to grow marijuana.

Fung Han Ng was eating breakfast when she heard her door being forced open.

When she looked up, she saw about 10 police officers running towards her.

They put her hands behind her back and told her she was under arrest for
theft of hydro. Investigators searched her home, and her 89-year-old mother
who was changing in an upstairs bedroom, for any indication of a home grow.
They found nothing.

"We accept full responsibility for our error," John Grotheer said in a release.

"We are taking steps to ensure it does not happen again."

The hydro company first told The Record they were not the initiators in the
July 24 search and that police usually contact them for assistance.

Shortly after, they admitted to contacting police after becoming suspicious
on two separate occasions.

On July 19, hydro officials first told police they had concerns that hydro
was being tampered with at the residence.

Then on July 23, the hydro company contacted police and told them a
diversion meter that was set up indicated theft of hydro.

A warrant was obtained and a search completed.

When it became clear the Ngs were innocent of any wrongdoing, police
apologized and Cambridge and North Dumfries Hydro quickly began to
investigate. Yesterday, they said the investigation was over and
recommendations were being made to ensure such a mistake doesn't happen again.

A public apology to the Ng family was also issued by the hydro company and
published in The Record, the Cambridge Reporter and the Cambridge Times today.

"Your family was blameless, and we regret the disruption, embarrassment and
inconvenience this incident has caused you," reads the apology, written by
Grotheer.

While the Ngs may be able to forgive, they said it will take quite awhile
to forget. Fung Han Ng still has trouble getting to sleep at night.

"I guess I'm still thinking about the whole situation," said Fung Han.
"Time will heal but it is still fresh.

"It will take me a long time to forget about what happened to me."

Police have conducted more than 100 theft-of-hydro searches since the fall
of 2000. In every one, officers found a pot-grow operation inside.

Fung Han Ng said she and her husband want to make sure such a mistake
"never happens to other people again."