Pubdate: Sat, 04 Jan 2014
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Priyanka Dayal McCluskey

MASS. POLICE FEAR POT FARM ROBBERIES

Want Private Security on Growing Sites

Cops say they fear the legal pot farms allowed under the state's new
medicinal marijuana law could turn into crime magnets that will draw
armed criminals and turn into a law enforcement nightmare.

"If someone is going to go in and try to wipe out these facilities,
chances are they would be armed," Wayne Sampson, executive director of
the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association said about the prospect
of robberies. "Their intent there is to take a significant amount of
drugs."

It is still unclear where any marijuana greenhouses - permitted for
licensed dispensaries under the law - will be located. The Department
of Public Health is weeding through 100 applications and will award up
to 35 licenses - up to five in each county - at the end of January.

The licensees won't have to grow and sell their product in the same
location. An urban storefront dispensary could have greenhouses in
more less settled areas.

"Those would certainly be targets of interest for people to break
into," said Auburn Police Chief Andrew Sluckis, whose town was being
eyed as a potential pot-growing location by a prospective dispensary
operator who approached town officials, but backed off after meeting
resistance. "I did not want them here in the town of Auburn," Sluckis
said.

Even those looking to make money from the legal sale of marijuana
acknowledge greenhouses full of the leafy stuff will be difficult to
secure.

"I think their concerns are legitimate," said one dispensary license
applicant, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the licensing
process is ongoing. "The security issue is a critical one."

Department of Public Health spokeswoman Anne Roach, when asked about
security concerns, cited the Massachusetts' marijuana law will allow
patients with certain "debilitating" conditions to smoke pot to
alleviate their pain. The law requires dispensary operators to keep
their facilities secure with alarm systems and video cameras.

Sampson said he also would like to see private security officers at
the big pot farms.

"These facilities may be so large there might be people caring for the
plants 24 hours a day," Sampson said. "If they don't have somebody in
there working, with the volume of profit they're making, they
certainly can have security there."  
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D