Pubdate: Sat, 26 May 2007 Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Maple Ridge News Contact: http://www.mapleridgenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) SNIFFING AROUND A team of RCMP officers, firefighters and city staff poked around Richard Pitt's house on Wednesday because it had unusually high Hydro readings. Pitt had a valid reason for his energy consumption, which he explained to safety inspection team members on Tuesday. He even invited them in that day to have a look. But they refused, instead returning the next day - a convoy of police cars, fire trucks and city vehicles pulling up to his front door for all the neighbours to see - following procedure and hunting for a marijuana grow operation, or faulty wiring. The team was assembled in September as part of a pilot project to weed out grow ops through safety inspections - first issuing a 24-hour warning, then marching in - members getting paid between $30 and $100 an hour. Such inspection teams are popping up around the Lower Mainland. The one in Pitt Meadows has inspected 34 homes so far. It hasn't found a grow-op yet, only a few leaves. It didn't find any such thing at Pitt's house. It did find about 10 computers used to operate a website with video feeds from around the province of eagles' nests. In a twist of irony, Wild is complaining that his privacy has been invaded. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association claims that safety inspection teams are skirting the law by evading the search warrant process, which can be a lot of work. And for what when marijuana cultivators are rarely convicted or spend time in jail? That is an issue for the lawmakers. Law enforcers shouldn't be able to walk into just anybody's house under the guise of public safety and snoop for things that smell funny. According to the Canadian charter, "Everyone has the right to be secure against an unreasonable search or seizure." That should include in Pitt Meadows. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom