Pubdate: Mon, 07 Mar 2005
Source: Surrey Now (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company
Contact:  http://www.thenownewspaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462
Author: Marisa Babic
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

WAR ON GROW-OPS GETS A POWERFUL NEW TOOL

Surrey politicians, police and firefighters are teaming up to pull the plug 
on pot grow-ops.

Solicitor-General Rich Coleman unveiled a pilot project Thursday that will 
allow authorities to cut power to houses with marijuana-growing operations.

"Grow ops are increasing in size and sophistication right across B.C.," 
Coleman said. "We need to tackle this problem from every angle to ensure 
that police and other authorities have the tools they need to protect the 
public. This will send a message to criminals that grow-ops will not be 
tolerated and we'll find all kinds of ways to shut them down."

Under the project, a team of firefighters, police and electrical inspectors 
will investigate homes with unusually high electrical power consumption. If 
the residence is found to be a hazard, or an inspection is not permitted in 
a reasonable time, power will be shut down. A permit and an inspection by 
the Surrey electrical inspector would then be required before power is 
restored.

Surrey fire chief Len Garis is the driving force behind the new initiative.

The project was also developed with input from the City of Surrey, the 
RCMP, BC. Hydro and the ministries of Solicitor General and Community, 
Aboriginal and Women's Services, which oversees the Safety Standards Act.

Garis said the goal of the project is to protect firefighters and citizens 
from the dangerous fires caused by grow-ops.

Garis said statistics show that a house with a marijuana growing operation 
sustains twice as much damage as a house without one. As well, a house with 
a grow-op is 25 times more likely to go up in flames.

He said the strategy is needed to help control and hopefully contribute to 
the eradication of grow-ops.

"With all due respect to law enforcement agencies, the system has just 
become so complex and complicated for them," he said.

"The incidents are growing significantly every year and it's pretty obvious 
the system is failing itself.

"We're hoping that this will become a tool that will basically make it 
extremely difficult, if not impossible for these types of unsafe 
installations to occur in a residential setting."

Garis said the program will be evaluated in 90 days and depending on the 
results may be expanded to other cities.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said the program will help spread the message 
that grow-ops aren't welcome in Surrey.

"The message is that if you have a grow-op in Surrey, we're going to drive 
you out."
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MAP posted-by: Beth