Pubdate: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 Source: Intelligencer, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2009, Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.intelligencer.ca/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx Website: http://www.intelligencer.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2332 Author: Marina Osmond UNITED EFFORT TO PREVENT SPREAD OF CLANDESTINE DRUG LABS Belleville police, the fire department and the city's building department are working together to prevent the spread of clandestine drug labs in Belleville. Det.-Insp. Mike Graham said the city of Belleville, the building department, fire and police have entered into a protocol and are just waiting for a few more parties to sign on in order to make it official. With this week's $10-million drug bust by Project Longarm, the city is ready to crack down on more drug labs. Graham says the protocol was created to deal with indoor marijuana grow-ops and chemical labs. "We're very fortunate in Belleville and we haven't come across any chemical labs," says Graham. But, he said police and city officials remain cautious on that front. There are a few steps to consider when seizing drugs from houses, he said, and those steps become very complex if electricity is involved. "Once we conclude our investigations, we execute search warrants at the residence," says Graham. "Our job is to go in and make sure there are no safety issues in regards to the officers that are going in and the people that are going to dismantle. Then we dismantle, seize product and equipment, lay the appropriate charges, and then drugs themselves are destroyed." Hydro meters are often bypassed when a drug lab is run within a house, making it very dangerous once authorities are inside. "A lot of the grows, they have bypassed the meter, we have the fire department there for fire and safety issues and we have Veridian shut the power down and then they do a safety inspection. A lot of it is to protect the people going in and dismantling," says Graham."We see some pretty elaborate hookups, and we have EMS standing by." - --- MAP posted-by: dan