MAJOR DRUG BUSTS BECOMING COMMON

In British Columbia, some police experts believe the illegal cultivation of
marijuana is a bigger cash crop than the lumber industry.

In Chatham-Kent, it's impossible to say whether illegal crops are worth
more than the legal crops, but local police officers say the number of
so-called grow houses - devoted to marijuana cultivation - are mushrooming,
and keeping them under control is far more difficult than in the past.

"There were grow operations a few years ago, but nothing like today," says
a Chatham-Kent police officer who is actively involved in drug investigations.

He spoke to Chatham The Week about the extent of the problem, and the
challenges involved in trying to charge perpetrators, but asked that his
identity and those of other drug squad officers not be used.

Over the past few months the arrests of grow operations that once would
have been considered extraordinarily large have become almost common. One
night last week alone, two separate raids netted an array of hydroponic
equipment and almost 400 marijuana plants. The officers didn't say how
large each plant was, but estimated a fully grown marijuana plant has a
street value of about $1,000.

Despite a string of such arrests, the officer says there are many more grow
operations than police have been able to target. In fact, raids of that
size, that once were so rare that whenever they happened they resulted in
major stories in the local media, are now routinely reported in a few
paragraphs... if at all.

"We'll learn some of the tricks to look for and (the criminals) will learn
new ones to stay ahead of us. It never ends," the officer said. The use of
aircraft and heat detecting cameras helps police find illegal drugs growing
in fields, so many of the growers have moved the plants indoors.

That not only gives them a location hidden from view, but it means they can
grow year-round. The officer says that, in his opinion, some of these
operations are run by sophisticated criminals who have agreements to supply
major dealers.

They frequently steal electricity to power the many high wattage light
bulbs needed for the growing operations, and look for unobtrusive ways to
vent extremely humid and sometimes pungent smelling air from the houses
they use.

The officer says some of the growers are extremely skilled and professional.

"These people aren't growing all of this for Chatham-Kent." he said. "They
grow for whoever will pay the most."

Local police have had some success in nabbing the operators because of team
work, the officer said. He wouldn't speak specifically on how the police
officers are gathering drug related information but says the local
Crimestoppers organization is very good and officers in different units
cooperate closely.

"We get good input," he said "A break and enter investigation can come up
with information that helps the drug investigators, and we act as a team.
It's cumulative, you work on one case and others come out of it."

The paperwork detail over the past few years has changed as much as the
nature of the growing operations. The court system is demanding a lot more
documentation to obtain search warrants. The officer says three pages of
documentation were commonly needed for search warrants at one time, while
10 to 15 are often needed today.

"Short cuts lead to bad case law, so you have to make sure everything is
beyond question," he said.

And once a case has cleared the courts, disposing of the evidence also
requires a lot of paperwork because drug offences are federal cases and
local officials can't give the OK for disposal.

All of which means more attention to detail than ever before, and results
in police officers emulating business people in constantly looking for more
efficient ways to carry out their duties.

Chatham-Kent isn't alone in seeing this kind of increase in drug growing
operations. The officer says police sources guess there are 10,000
growhouses in the Greater Toronto Area, and the officer says that almost
all areas are seeing an increase in drug production.

"We are a safe community, as safe as anywhere else," he says. "But you
start shaking the trees and the bad guys will fall out. It's just the way
it is right now."