Pubdate: Tue, 30 Jul 2002
Source: Cambridge Reporter, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 The Cambridge Reporter
Contact:  http://www.cambridge-reporter.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1470

PROBE SEEKS ANSWERS IN WRONGFUL BUST

As Fung Han and Shiu Ng work to repair the damage done to their door and 
their pride, police and hydro investigators are trying to figure out what 
went so wrong.

Police officers broke down the front door of the Ngs' Hilborn Avenue home 
in Cambridge last Wednesday morning as Fung Han sat eating her breakfast. 
Officers put her hands behind her back and told her she was under arrest 
for theft of hydro.

Police and hydro investigators believed the family was hiding a marijuana 
grow operation inside. But when they searched the home, they found nothing.

Now, they are trying to figure out what went wrong in their investigation.

Last week Cambridge and North Dumfries Hydro said they were not the 
initiators in this case and that police usually contact them for assistance.

However, the police warrant used to carry out the search showed that the 
hydro company contacted police on two occasions.

On July 19, hydro officials told police they had concerns that hydro was 
being tampered with at the residence. Then again on July 23, the hydro 
company contacted police and told them a diversion meter, which measures 
the flow of electricity to the house before it goes through the hydro 
meter, was set up. They told police the diversion meter indicated theft of 
hydro.

A warrant was obtained and a search completed.

"Apparently there never was and there never has been a marijuana grow 
operation," in the home, said Staff Sergeant Brent Thomlison. "We initiated 
this because hydro called us."

Barb Shortreed, communications officer with Cambridge and North Dumfries 
Hydro, said an internal investigation revealed that hydro officials did 
contact police in this case. She said a full investigation has been 
launched to determine "what caused the abnormality," in the home's hydro 
reading.

The data recorded from the meter was "very similar to every other proven 
diversion we have identified," she said.

"There are several factors that we need to identify," she added. "We could 
not comment as to what the reason is."
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart