Marijuana Grow-Ops Spotting
the Threat to our Neighbourhoods
Marijuana
grow operations, or grow-ops, are illegal enterprises in which marijuana
plants are grown and sold for a profit. According to Statistics
Canada, marijuana grow operations, have more than doubled over the past
decade, from 3,400 incidents in 1994 to more than 8,000 in
2004. Of the almost 100,000 drug incidents known to police
in 2004, half were for possessing marijuana.
According
to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Marijuana
grow-ops are a $7-billion industry in B.C. and they are largely controlled
by organized crime.
As part of a week long Crime Prevention Week campaign to raise awareness to what members of the public can do to create safer neighbourhoods, the BC Crime Prevention Association (BCCPA) wants to highlight what members of our communities can do to nip marijuana grow-ops in the bud.
According to BCCPA Executive Director Valerie MacLean, “Tips from us, as members of the public, remain the best source of information for police about potential grow-ops within their neighbourhoods. We are the ones who live in our neighbourhoods; we are the ones who see the activities within our neighbourhoods on a daily basis; we are the ones who may notice when something doesn’t quite seem right within our neighbourhood.”
Here are several ways to identify possible grow operations:
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Entry to the home is usually through the garage or a back entrance to conceal activity.
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Windows are boarded or covered and may have a layer of condensation.
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Equipment such as large fans, lights and plastic plant containers is carried into the home.
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Sounds of construction or electrical humming can be heard.
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Strange odours (a skunk-like smell) emanate from the house.
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The neighbourhood experiences localized surges or decreases in power.
Marijuana
grow-ops pose a host of public safety risks to our neighbourhoods
including:
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Electrocutions – Electrical rewiring is
a potential danger for marijuana growers, emergency personnel as well as
residents in the neighbourhood
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Environmental Damage – Hazardous
chemicals are often disposed of in household drains and end up in local
water systems
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Fire Hazards – Exposed wires,
high-intensity light-bulbs and exhaust fans used in grow-ops put the
grow-op home and the surrounding houses at risk.
·
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Structural Damage to homes – Marijuana
grow operators often alter rented homes in order to produce a larger crop.
Humidity and condensation build-up can cause highly toxic mold and fungus
which often develops, damaging insulation, walls, ceilings and floors.
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Power Outages – Overloading electrical
systems puts entire neighbourhoods at risk of experiencing costly and
inconvenient power outages
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Violence which puts residents of the
neighbourhood at risk – Grow-ops are often the target of violent
robberies because of the lucrative crop and cash on the premises.
This criminal activity puts residents of the neighbourhood at risk.
For more information about BC Crime Prevention Week, please visit: www.bccpa.org/crimepreventionweek2006.htm
