Pubdate: Mon, 26 Mar 2012 Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2012 The Calgary Sun Contact: http://www.calgarysun.com/letter-to-editor Website: http://www.calgarysun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67 Author: Jenna McMurray MEET TO GET AT GRASSROOTS OF GROW-OPS Delegates from across Canada will meet Tuesday in Banff to see how a Calgary team is weeding out grow-ops. The three-day War on Grow Ops conference will highlight the collaborative efforts of agencies in Calgary to suffocate the "prolific" problem. "Grow-ops are really organized crime infiltrating our neighbourhoods," said Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart, who chairs the STOP Marijuana Grow Ops coalition. Colley-Urquhart, also a member of the Calgary Police Commission, said about 95% of grow-ops in Calgary are stealing power, which creates a financial burden and presents a public safety issue. "You and I, when we pay our utility bill every month, are paying for organized crime," she said. "It's a significant burden on the taxpayers and we have come really close to having people killed in their own neighbourhoods." She said one of the most concerning cases was a blaze that consumed several houses in Citadel, sparked by faulty wiring. Calgary's STOP coalition includes 44 stakeholders representing the commercial sector, public safety agencies, the legislative and judicial sector plus communities and businesses, she said. The conference at the Banff Centre is co-hosted by the City of Calgary, the Calgary Police Service and the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT). ALERT spokeswoman Candace Cook said about 200 people are expected at the conference, where participants will analyse best practices for stopping grow-ops, look at trends and discuss safety hazards, among other things. Colley-Urquhart said while the conference will seek to share successes, it will also be a good way to learn new methods of snuffing out what she says is a prolific problem. "We have to stop (grow-ops) before they start," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom