A public suggestion by the provincial coroner to provide heroin to addicts is turning some heads. The comments by chief coroner Lisa Lapointe last week came after it was learned 116 people in this province died of overdoses from illicit drugs in January. It's widely believed the deaths are a result of fentanyl, a drug 100 times stronger than morphine. Lapointe said the people who have died haven't been successful in a variety of treatment programs. [continues 591 words]
Doug Nickerson is never without a naloxone kit, which he says he has used 113 times He walks Surrey's notorious strip in Whalley, always carrying a naloxone kit. Having being saved five times from the life-saving naloxone, Doug Nickerson now puts it to use for others he sees on Surrey's most battle worn street. "I don't go anywhere without a naloxone kit," said Nickerson. "I hang a kit on my belt loop and away I go. Always have it." [continues 549 words]
A makeshift safe injection site has been set up in North Surrey, raising the ire of local organizations that are trying to create a permanent facility in Surrey. On Wednesday, a volunteer with a Vancouver support group for drug users set up a table on 135A Street to give people a safe place to inject their drugs. Ann Livingston, a longtime volunteer with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), said she was motivated to bring the safe injection site to Surrey for several reasons. [continues 514 words]
A flood of overdoses in Whalley has Linda Hepner considering providing safe consumption sites for drug users Rocked by more than 40 drug overdoses in Whalley over the weekend, Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner is reconsidering a long-standing stance in the city around harm reduction. There were 43 overdoses in North Surrey over the weekend, much of them a result of fentanyl-laced crack cocaine. Fraser Health Authority (FHA) is now issuing warnings to mitigate the dangers of lethal fentanyl and its powerful cousin, W-18, of which little is known. [continues 407 words]
He watched in disbelief as his friend was dragged to death under the carriage of an SUV. But the horrific incident was just the start of his gang life, a road that would eventually take him to a stint in North Fraser Correctional Centre - which he described as one of the scariest places he's been. Jordan Buna's recount of his brush with the gangster lifestyle was delivered to a forum on youth, drugs and violence held by the Surrey RCMP and City of Surrey on Monday night at the Bell Centre for the Performing Arts. [continues 732 words]
Surrey RCMP will be given real-time access to more than 400 traffic cameras in the city, and the full force of the regional Mounties to put an end to this year's shootings. The announcement comes as Surrey grapples with more than 30 shootings so far this year - a rate of one every three days. It's twice the rate of shootings that occurred last year. The culprits are involved in a low-level drug turf war, police believe. [continues 524 words]
Surrey Mounties will be able to view more than 400 traffic surveillance cameras in real time to combat shootings Surrey RCMP will be given real-time access to more than 400 traffic cameras in the city, and the full force of the regional Mounties to put an end to this year's shootings. The announcement comes as Surrey grapples with more than 30 shootings so far this year - a rate of one every three days. It's twice the rate of shootings that occurred last year. [continues 563 words]
Surrey RCMP will be given real-time access to more than 400 traffic cameras in the city, and the full force of the regional Mounties to put an end to this year's shootings. The announcement comes as Surrey grapples with more than 30 shootings so far this year - a rate of one every three days. It's twice the rate of shootings that occurred last year. The culprits are involved in a low-level drug turf war, police believe. [continues 616 words]
Medical pot grow-ops in residential homes have to be shut down as of next week (April 1), and the City of Surrey will be following up to make sure the houses are safe. People ignoring the city's requests for remediation work may face thousands of dollars in inspection costs. The clean-up initiative comes as Health Canada ends the ability for people licensed to use medicinal marijuana to grow it at home (see story, page 3). Medical pot now must now be purchased from regulated commercial producers. [continues 181 words]
B.C. civic leaders have voted to support the decriminalization of marijuana, at a gathering of provincial municipalities Wednesday. Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM), a civic lobby group, voted in favour of a resolution calling for the decriminalization and taxation of marijuana. The resolution itself won't change any existing laws, but it will put pressure on senior levels of government, namely Ottawa, to make those changes. The delegates were divided amongst those who believe decriminalization will lead to more harmful drugs becoming more available on the street, while those in favour say current laws allow organized crime to make massive profits. [continues 249 words]
In the last month, Surrey has seen eight shootings, four of them fatal. Police say it's been an unfortunate spike in gun violence, but they also note that's how violent crime presents itself - in peaks and valleys. Overall, police and politicians point out, the number of homicides in 2011 was down. There were 12 killings in the city last year and the overall annual average for the past 10 years has been 13. Last week, Mayor Dianne Watts called on the federal government for stiffer sentences for people involved in gun crimes and a better guard against the number of guns flowing across the U.S. border. [continues 838 words]
In the last month, Surrey has seen eight shootings, four of them fatal. Police say it's been an unfortunate spike in gun violence, but they also note that's how violent crime presents itself in peaks and valleys. Overall, police and politicians point out, the number of homicides in 2011 was down. There were 12 killings in the city last year and the overall annual average for the past 10 years has been 13. Last week, Mayor Dianne Watts called on the federal government for stiffer sentences for people involved in gun crimes and a better guard against the number of guns flowing across the U.S. border. [continues 842 words]
Surrey is reporting far more pot grow-ops than other jurisdictions in B.C., which Mounties say is due in part to a dedicated team tackling the the clandestine operations. As part of a new program called the Marijuana Grow Initiative, police are making public all places where they seize marijuana grow operations. The addresses of homes where marijuana grow-ops are found have been published on the RCMP website, and as of Friday (Sept. 23), 26 out of the 60 published are in Surrey. [continues 294 words]
Permits Required, Agricultural Location Needed People in Surrey who use or grow medical marijuana will soon have to obtain municipal permits and growers will have to relocate to an agricultural area. Surrey council endorsed a plan that would place restrictions on how and where medical marijuana is grown and stored in this city. Since 2003, people with certain medical conditions - such as glaucoma, spinal cord injury, pain or nausea from cancer or HIV and epileptic seizures - have been allowed to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. [continues 458 words]
Surrey is watching closely as the District of Mission faces a class action lawsuit against the city for its grow-op fighting program. The Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI) was started in Surrey about five years ago and has been initiated in other municipalities including Mission, where it's called the Public Safety Inspection Team (PSIT). Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis is the architect of the program and said he's intrigued to see what happens when a group in Mission asks council to dismantle the program today (Monday). [continues 484 words]
New BC Hydro technology will enable cities to shut down every illegal pot grow-op within their borders, according to Surrey's fire chief. The province has ordered the installation of "smart meters" in every home throughout B.C. The devices will show homeowners - and BC Hydro - - their power usage in real time. Under Bill 25, municipalities will also have access to that data. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis says that will mean an end to grow-ops in this city and any other that chooses to use the data. [continues 305 words]
The rules are about to get a lot more stringent for people repairing their homes after a marijuana grow-op has been found. The city is strengthening its Controlled Substance Property Bylaw, placing more restrictions on how the homes are repaired. Often, houses with grow operations have unsafe wiring and suffer extensive moisture damage. Currently, when a home is identified as a former marijuana grow operation, a consultant is hired to decide if the building is safe. If not, the city takes away occupancy permits until it is made safe. [continues 177 words]
Surrey is watching closely as the City of Pitt Meadows prepares to ban people from growing medical marijuana in that municipality. Health Canada allows the medicinal use of marijuana for several conditions, including severe pain or muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or disease, pain or nausea from cancer or HIV and seizures from epilepsy. Tonight (Tuesday), Pitt Meadows will hold a public hearing on a bylaw amendment that would ban the growing of marijuana for medical purposes. It would become the first city in Canada to disallow the federally sanctioned activity. [continues 267 words]
Surrey's crackdown on marijuana grow-ops hasn't slowed down a bit since the courts ruled that warrants are required before searches are conducted. Since its inception in 2004, Surrey's Electrical Fire and Safety Initiative (EFSI) has reduced the number of marijuana grow operations in this city from thousands to about 200. Under the system, municipal teams - including fire, bylaw officers and police - visit homes where BC Hydro reports higher-than-normal power consumption. The occupants get a warning notice that they have 72 hours to allow an inspection. Most of the time, grow operators have packed up and left by the time inspectors arrive. [continues 220 words]
Surrey's fire chief has been named adjunct professor to the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). Len Garis has worked closely with the university in the past on several studies, including marijuana grow operations in Surrey, and how likely homes are to burn. UFV criminology professor Darryl Plecas said that Garis is a great pick for adjunct professor. "We are thrilled to have Chief Garis join the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice as an adjunct professor," Plecas wrote. "The guy is a genius, his approach is consistently scientific and evidence-based, his initiatives are cutting edge, he is constantly coming up with fundamentally better ways of doing things, he's an outstanding teacher, our students love him, and he is a highly respected leader in the field of public safety. Needless to say, his contributions to public safety in Canada have been significant." [continues 83 words]
B.C.'s highest court has struck down Surrey's grow op program, saying that it infringes the right to unreasonable search and seizure. Surrey' Fire Chief Len Garis said it will add some time to the process in order to obtain an administrative warrant, but the program will continue. Surrey embarked on the Electrical Fire and Safety Initiative in 2004, and has dramatically decreased the number of marijuana grow operations in this city. Under the system, municipal teams - including fire, bylaws and police - - visit homes where BC Hydro reports higher-than-normal power consumption. [continues 320 words]
The federal government is currently reviewing its options regarding access to medical marijuana. At least one of the items the government is examining is public safety, which is welcome news to local officials. Health Canada allows the medicinal use of marijuana for several conditions, including severe pain or muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or disease, pain or nausea from cancer or HIV and seizures from epilepsy. Federally licensed medical marijuana grows have been a problem, according to Surrey Chief Len Garis, who takes issue with the fact many of them are electrically unsafe. [continues 408 words]
A beating death in Seattle, a grow rip in Chilliwack, and at least nine homes in Surrey 24 times more likely to catch fire are putting the heat on federally licensed growers of marijuana. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis first raised the alarm with city council last year, telling local elected officials the federal government won't release the locations of what he believes are dangerous dwellings. Surrey's Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI), the city's grow-op detection team, has found nine medically licensed marijuana home plantations in the city. Four had to be shut down permanently because of serious electrical safety problems and the remainder were temporarily closed while electrical issues were fixed. [continues 319 words]
Newton residents are readying for battle as a huge recovery home project heads to public hearing on Monday. Liz Walker, and many others, were handing out pamphlets on Wednesday, encouraging locals to appear at city hall's regular council meeting Oct. 5. At issue is Welcome Home, a 72-unit private facility for drug and alcohol recovery, planned for 6925 King George Highway. The first phase, being considered Monday, is a 36-unit facility, which is expected to eventually double in size. [continues 281 words]
The City of Surrey and RCMP lined a Whalley social service building with chicken dung to keep homeless and vagrants away, The Leader has learned. On Aug. 14, witnesses saw City of Surrey staff pull up to the Front Room Drop In Centre in the 10600-block of 135A Street and line the building with putrid poultry manure. The desired effect was to create a smell so repugnant that it would repel vagrants who were hanging out around the building. Keith Smith was touring the drop in centre and surrounding services on Thursday as part of his schooling in drug and alcohol rehabilitation. [continues 512 words]
A new report has confirmed what local officials have said for some time: Surrey's novel approach to battling marijuana grow operations is working. In 2004, Surrey started the Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI), where municipal teams including fire, bylaws and police attend homes that BC Hydro has reported as showing high power consumption - which is a signature of a grow operation. The owners are given 72 hours to allow inspection, however, most of the time, grow operators have packed up and left by the time inspectors arrive. [continues 100 words]
A Surrey home seized for being a grow operation will remain in court hands even though a similar landmark case in North Vancouver has been overturned. In 2003, Surrey police raided the home of 51-year-old Kien Tam Nguyen and 45-year-old Nga Thuy Nguyen and found a marijuana grow operation. While only their daughter was living there and there was no connection to organized crime, the home (worth about $375,000 at the time) was seized through civil forfeiture. [continues 161 words]
Give cities and police the tools and legislation they need to hammer down the growing marijuana trade, Surrey's mayor, Dianne Watts, was recently expected to tell a powerful federal justice committee. A team of five were to appear before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in Vancouver in order to address this region's problem with pot grow operations. Watts was joined by City of Langley Mayor Peter Fassbender, Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis, RCMP Supt. Janice Armstrong and criminologist Dr. Darryl Plecas. [continues 388 words]
Give cities and police the tools and legislation they need to hammer down the growing marijuana trade, Mayor Dianne Watts was expected to tell a powerful federal justice committee Thursday night. A team of five were to appear before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in Vancouver in order to address this region's problem with pot grow operations. Watts was joined by City of Langley Mayor Peter Fassbender, Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis, RCMP Supt. Janice Armstrong and criminologist Dr. Darryl Plecas. [continues 388 words]
Federally authorized marijuana grow operations are posing a substantial increase of fire risk, according to Surrey's fire chief. Over the past three years, Surrey's new Electrical Fire Safety Initiative has shut down power to hundreds of grow operations in this city. Among the grow operations found, there were eight that were federally sanctioned for medical purposes. Four had to be shut down immediately due to increased risk of fire. The other four had to undergo significant electrical upgrades to keep operating. [continues 350 words]
Drug paraphernalia will be banned from display or sale in all Surrey stores. Responding from a number of public complaints, Surrey council voted Monday to restrict the sale of all items related to illicit drug use. Some of those would include pipes used for crack cocaine, roach clips for marijuana joints, and even aerosol spray containers with false bottoms to hide drugs. "It's unfortunate that stores that sell candy to young people have openly displayed drug paraphernalia," said Coun. Barinder Rasode. "So we're upping the ante." She describes the proposed legislation as incomplete, but notes the city wanted something on the books right away. Final reading on the law is expected in the coming weeks. [end]
An estimated 40 alcohol and drug recovery homes in this city remain completely unregulated, despite a decade-long call for controls to protect clients. Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts has made regulating the industry one of her missions since finding a woman's recovery home in Panorama Ridge in the late 1990s where children were packed four and five to a room. At the time there were an estimated 50 recovery homes in Surrey and reports of client abuse were rampant. They continue today, and Watts is fed up over a lack of action on the part of the province. [continues 358 words]
Surrey's mayor is challenging some of the claims made by the province this week about law and order. The discussion comes after a week of gang-fuelled bloodshed in Surrey and throughout the region and calls from the public for meaningful justice. Last Friday, Premier Gordon Campbell told The Surrey-North Delta Leader that Victoria was doing what it could to combat gang violence. "We've increased the number of police officers we have in this province by more than 900," he said. "We have an organized gang task force and homicide task force. [continues 453 words]
There are still hundreds of marijuana grow operations in this city, despite the fact B.C. Hydro consumption records indicate there are practically none, according to Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis. And many operators have simply located to other parts of the province - - a problem Garis wants to see stopped. He noted growers are becoming more sophisticated, keeping their plantations under the hydro threshold (three times typical household usage), or simply stealing the power from outside the home. So he's pushing forward on several other fronts. [continues 457 words]
There are still hundreds of marijuana grow operations in Surrey, despite the fact BC Hydro consumption records indicate there are practically none, according to Surrey fire Chief Len Garis. And many operators have simply located to other parts of the province - - a problem Garis wants to see stopped. He noted growers are becoming more sophisticated, keeping their plantations under the hydro threshold (three times typical household usage), or stealing the power from outside the home. So he's pushing forward on several other fronts. [continues 441 words]
A local MLA is calling for the prohibition of a drug readily available at local retail outlets. Surrey-Newton MLA Harry Bains wants an end to the sale of doda (also known as dode), which is an opium deriviative sold in many local stores. Bains said, while legal, the drug is highly addictive, and should be taken from store shelves. "My constituents are very concerned that this addictive and harmful substance is readily available at retail stores," Bains said. "I have written to the Solicitor General demanding a thorough review of our laws to ensure that retailers don't sell this product openly." [continues 223 words]
It's going to get more expensive for people found with a grow-op, or other electrical hazard in their home. Surrey launched the Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI) three years ago, a program that shuts down residential marijuana grow operations by tracking their high power consumption records. It has been fully "self-funded" through a $2,100 fee charged to the homeowner after inspection. The initiative is becoming more expensive for the city, so it's passing on the extra costs. [continues 155 words]
It's going to get more expensive for people found with a grow op, or other electrical hazard in their home. Surrey launched the Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI) three years ago, a program that shuts down residential marijuana grow operations by tracking their high power consumption records. It has been fully "self-funded" through a $2,100 fee charged to the homeowner after inspection. The initiative is becoming more expensive for the city, so it's passing on the extra costs. [continues 157 words]
A landmark B.C. Supreme Court decision has upheld Surrey's initiative to clamp down on homes suspected of containing marijuana grow operations. However, police are no longer allowed to attend the home inspections. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis launched the initiative in March 2005 after a successful pilot project in this city. Homeowners with high power consumption are notified they will be subject to an inspection. If the homeowner refuses, or a grow operation is found, the home's electricity is shut off. In May 2007, the inspection team attended the home of South Surrey residents Jason Arkinstall and Jennifer Green, who said city staff could enter, but police could not. The team left without inspection, and shut off power to the home. Arkinstall took the city to court over it, raising questions about the constitutionality of the inspection program. [continues 263 words]
A landmark B.C. Supreme Court decision has upheld Surrey's initiative to clamp down on homes suspected of containing marijuana grow operations. However, police are no longer allowed to attend the home inspections. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis launched the initiative in March 2005 after a successful pilot project in this city. Homeowners with high power consumption are notified they will be subject to an inspection. If the homeowner refuses, or a grow operation is found, the power to the home is shut off. [continues 618 words]
A judge, a cop and a criminologist outlined the economic impact of crime on this city to a small crowd at Surrey's economic summit, held Thursday at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel. The three professionals, all impassioned, weren't entirely in agreement. Criminologist Darryl Plecas told the audience statistics in Canada look promising. "Crime rate in this country is about as low as it's been in 30 years," Plecas said, pointing specifically at Surrey's marijuana grow-op program, run by the fire department, as part of the solution. People with pot operations have moved to the United Kingdom and the United States, Plecas said. [continues 505 words]
Electrical records show a dramatic drop in marijuana grow operations among cities participating in a safety initiative designed to shut down indoor pot plantations. But the initiatives are also having an effect on municipalities that aren't participating, the figures show. Through a Freedom of Information request, The Leader has obtained electrical usage summaries from B.C. Hydro of unusually high electrical consumers. The document shows nearly a 20 per cent drop in high consumption rates among the six cities involved in the Electrical Fire Safety Initiative, a program started by Surrey's fire chief in 2005 to shut down marijuana grow operations. [continues 301 words]
Surrey's successful marijuana grow operation initiative has caught the attention of Britain, which is facing similar problems with home-based plantations. Dr. Darryl Plecas, a criminology professor at University College of the Fraser Valley, is co-author of Surrey's Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI), which allows fire crews to issue warnings of inspection to suspected grow operators. Failure to allow the inspection results in power being cut off to the home. With the EFSI, Surrey shut down 830 grow ops in this city last year, and there are an estimated 30 left. [continues 316 words]
As of this week, there are an estimated 30 to 50 suspected marijuana grow operations in this city, down from nearly 1,000 at the beginning of the year. The Leader has learned the fire department is expected to announce the dramatic drop in the number of grow operations as soon as Friday. The huge decrease in the number of home plantations is being attributed in part to the city's Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI). The program involves fire officials, bylaws and police attending homes with high power usage, often a signature of a marijuana grow operation. Unless the owner agrees to an inspection, the power to the home is cut. [continues 394 words]
There are only 167 grow operations left to be shut down in this city. New numbers released this week by Surrey's fire department shows the grow op team is on pace to eliminate marijuana plantations by the close of 2007. At the end of June, there were an estimated 300 home grow operations in Surrey, leaving Fire Chief Len Garis to estimate complete eradication by the end of November. Garis heads the city's Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI), in which the fire department, police and fire inspectors place notices on suspected grow operations. The owners usually flee, or shut the operation down. In 2003, officials estimated there were thousands of grow ops in Surrey. Enhanced crackdowns by police and the EFSI team has reduced them to a handful. [end]
300 Sites Left In City A marijuana grow-op busting program is being hailed as a tremendous success, with a 65 per cent drop in home plantations so far this year. The remainder are expected to be wiped out this fall. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis received BC Hydro records in January 2007 indicating the location of 1,000 homes with extraordinary power consumption - considered a "signature" for marijuana grow operations. Under the city's Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI), those homes are inspected, and statistically, 900 will have dangerous electrical connections - most of those due to marijuana grow operations. [continues 379 words]
A marijuana grow busting program is being hailed as a tremendous success, with a 65 per cent drop in home plantations expected this year. The remainder will be wiped out this fall. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis received B.C. Hydro records in January 2007 indicating the location of 1,000 homes with extraordinary power consumption - considered a "signature" for marijuana grow operations. Under the city's Electrical Fire Safety Initiative (EFSI), those homes are inspected, and statistically, 900 will have dangerous electrical connections - most of those due to marijuana grow operations. [continues 376 words]
A B.C. Supreme Court case may challenge one of the main underpinnings of Surrey's new grow-op program. Last week, a BCSC judge ruled B.C. Hydro had to return power to a South Surrey home after shutting it off because police escorted municipal inspectors onto the property. This was deemed equivalent to a warrantless search by police. Under Surrey's program, high consumers of power are served warning of a pending municipal inspection. High power consumption is a sign of a potential marijuana grow operation. [continues 64 words]
