DRUG COPS ADD POT-SPOTTING TIPS TO ARSENAL

Police brochure will tell residents how to detect home-grow operations

Waterloo regional drug cops are putting together a pamphlet on what to
watch for when detecting a marijuana home-grow operation. Police hope to
distribute the brochure to neighbourhoods throughout Waterloo Region.

The pamphlet, which still needs formal approval by police management, will
outline 10 points residents should look for when detecting indoor pot farms.

Staff Sgt. Ray Massicotte, head of the drug squad, said the pamphlet was an
idea borrowed from Vancouver police where a one-page flyer is distributed
in neighbourhoods where police have busted marijuana growers.

Massicotte said he also hopes to start a 24-hour grow hotline, which
residents can use to provide anonymous information.

He said tips are much more detailed, including license plates and
descriptions of people.

"People are getting more educated and know what to look for," he said.

To date, police have busted 85 homes in the region since June 2000.

The latest raid, at a bungalow in Linwood Thursday, yielded 761 marijuana
plants.

A 43-year-old female and a 19-year-old male were arrested later at an
apartment on Brybeck Crescent in Kitchener. A small amount of pot and
$12,000 in cash was also seized.

Since January, the houses raided have been filled with plants at various
stages, including seedlings, six-week-old plants and marijuana just days
from harvest.

Last year, the typical marijuana grow house housed about 300 to 400 plants.

Massicotte said it's difficult to tell whether the trend is to grow more
plants.

In York Region, Massicote said, police have raided grow houses with more
than 1,000 plants.

A similar grower was busted in Cambridge in February, with 1,158 plants
found by police.

HOW TO SPOT A POT-GROW OPERATION

1. Residents only attend the home occasionally, for brief periods.

2. Equipment such as large fans, lights, plastic plant containers and soil
are carried in at odd hours.

3. The exterior appearance of the property is untidy.

4. Entry is often made into the house through the garage using the door to
conceal activities.

5. Garbage bags containing soil and plant material are discarded in
surrounding areas.

6. Windows are covered.

7. Windows may be covered with condensation.

8. Hydro meters are tampered with.

9. Sounds of construction, ventilation fans can sometimes be heard.

10. The growing marijuana produces a strong, skunk-like odour that can be
detected outside the home.