Pubdate: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 Source: Chilliwack Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Chilliwack Times Contact: http://www.chilliwacktimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1357 Author: Mike Chouinard Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) WE'RE #1 Chilliwack is number one among cities for marijuana growing offences on a per capita basis. For overall grow-op offences, the city was sixth in B.C. based on numbers from 2003. These figures made up just one small sample of an RCMP-funded study released by the University College of Fraser Valley on Friday. It was the second report in a long-term study that began with a look at the state of growing operations since 1997. The first report was released in 2002 and found there were 177 files opened in Chilliwack during 2000-a 200-per-cent increase over four years. The new study shows little has changed and, in many ways, the situation has gotten more out-of-hand. In 2003, there were 204 files. "This is a problem that is continuing to worsen," said Darryl Plecas, the UCFV criminology professor and lead author of the study. One of the major reasons the marijuana business continues to grow, he said, is the inability for the criminal justice system to impose harsh punishments on people caught producing marijuana. "Since our last report that likelihood has decreased," Plecas said. In many cases charges against suspects are stayed, and when they are not, the people, if found guilty, rarely spend time in jail. Only at the point of the ninth offence does it become more likely than not for an offender to do jail time. "They're operating in a manner as if to say, 'so what if we get caught on this one'." Between 1997 and 2003, there was a noticeable drop in the percentage of cases where jail time was imposed. At the same time there was a marked increase in the use of conditional sentencing where the defendant serves the sentence in the community under various conditions. In 1997, prison sentences were given in 19 per cent of the cases while conditional sentences were used only in 15 per cent. In 2003, the percentage for prison had dropped to 10 per cent while conditional sentences were handed out in 41 per cent of the cases. Plecas is critical of the practices of giving people involved in organized crime such sentences. "I'm sure that was never the intent of Parliament when they moved to conditional sentencing." Another trend has been some growth of the illegal trade in rural areas. Chilliwack, by designation, falls somewhere in between the urban and the rural. "I would liken Chilliwack to a rural city," Plecas said. Chilliwack, along with Kelowna and Prince George are cited as examples of the migration of the grow-op business into 'relatively rural' areas from larger cities. Some communities did make headway in fighting local grow-ops, particularly Nanaimo, Delta and Abbotsford, which all fell off the last top 10 list. These, Plecas said, had all taken actions such as establishing police 'green teams' to deal specifically with grow-ops. Plecas added that the criminal justice system is under-resourced to deal with the problem, but the ultimately much will depend on what sentences are handed out to growers. Until then the crop will continue to be a lucrative thorn in the side of the authorities. "It is the single biggest fundraiser for organized crime. Why should we do anything to support that?" - --- MAP posted-by: Beth