BYLAW SOUGHT AFTER POT BUST

An Abbotsford woman is urging council to create a bylaw that holds
landlords accountable after another pot bust on a neighbour's property.

Council considered such a bylaw in October, but has deferred a decision
pending the outcome of a court challenge into Surrey's similar bylaw. It is
unknown how long a decision will take, said city manager Gary Guthrie.

Last week, on the afternoon of Jan. 2, Abbotsford Police busted a marijuana
grow operation at a farm in the 30,000-block of Taylor Road.

It's the fourth bust in six or seven years, said the neighbour, who did not
want to be named.

"I'm a little frustrated that these (grow operations) keep happening and
the police keep putting fires out," said the woman.

She believes the same person has owned the property over the years, and
she's concerned the owner is willfully renting to pot growers, or turning a
blind eye.

The owners of the property are listed as Chen L. Tao and Jae W. Chow of
Surrey. A phone number for the Surrey address given for them could not be
found.

Police kept an extra eye on the property a few years ago, but weren't able
to implicate the tenant at the time, she said. Police told her the best way
to deal with the problem was to pressure municipal council.

"If the mayor or a councillor was living next door, they'd put pressure on
it," she said of the problem of recurring grow operations.

Details about the pot bust were not available from police yesterday.

The SPCA was also called to the property Wednesday, and will be
investigating following the discovery of several dead chickens.

* A homeowner had a startling wake-up call around 3 a.m. Monday as he
opened his eyes to see a man standing over his bed.

The suspect demanded cash of the sleepy homeowner, in a residence in the
1200-block of Gladwin Road.

He fled the home after obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash and the
victim's wallet.

The suspect is described as a black male standing six feet tall and
weighing 200 pounds. He was wearing black gloves and a black toque. Anyone
with information is asked to call Abbotsford Police at 604-859-5225 or
Crimestoppers at 604-855-8477.

* A man attempting to stock up on Sony Playstation 2 games without forking
over a cent threatened staff with a syringe after Future Shop employees
confronted him.

The robbery took place Sunday around 5:30 p.m.

The man fled with 26 video games in an older model grey Chevrolet Camaro
driven by another man.

The thief was later identified by police and questioned that night.

The investigation is ongoing, said Const. Shinder Kirk.