Pubdate: Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Source: Airdrie City View (CN AB)
Copyright: 2010 Airdrie City View Ltd.
Contact:  http://airdriecityview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3202
Page: 8

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER GROW OP

Without a doubt, local police are starting to make some headway in 
their battle against organized crime.

In the past two months, police have raided and shut down six major 
marijuana growing operations in Airdrie. There have also been busts 
in the rural areas surrounding Calgary, while Chestermere and 
Strathmore police have also made some headway.

What comes as the biggest surprise to us is not the hundreds and 
thousands of plants being seized and destroyed by police. No, the 
truly shocking part is how little reaction there has been from the public.

In the past, we would have expected shock and outrage against the 
gangs who brought such crime to our so-called small and safe 
communities. However, it seems the public is no longer surprised to 
learn that organized crime is buying houses on typical residential 
streets to use for mass production of drugs.

We're not talking about grandpa's little weed patch behind the barn 
for personal use. These operations are sophisticated. The drugs 
produced in them are being sold to fund weapons employed in property 
theft, home invasions and violent crimes. The profits from these 
operations far exceed government funding for police, making society's 
efforts to control crime exceedingly difficult, if not impossible.

Perhaps worse than all this is the fact that most of the drugs 
produced, whether its marijuana or those cooked up from chemicals and 
household solvents in a homemade laboratory, are targeted for use by teens.

Judging by the lack of reaction from the public, it seems most 
Airdrie residents already know all of this. They know all of this and 
they are not surprised, shocked or outraged.

That is not a good sign.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart