cannabisnews.com: Police Want Private Sector To Help Fight Grow-Ops Police Want Private Sector To Help Fight Grow-Ops Posted by CN Staff on March 04, 2004 at 09:47:54 PT By Keith Leslie, Canadian Press Source: Canadian Press Toronto -- Police and all levels of government need private-sector help to identify and eliminate marijuana grow houses that pose an ever-increasing threat to communities across the province, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said Thursday. "There's a need for leaders in the real estate, insurance and banking sectors to work with police, hydro companies and government officials,'' said Halton Police Chief Ean Algar, president of the association. Algar was speaking at the opening of a two-day conference sponsored by the Ontario government, called the Green Tide Summit, aimed at co-ordinating efforts of police, public utilities, the private sector and individuals in the fight against the indoor pot farms. "This illegal activity feeds drug use, guns and violence in the province,'' said Algar. "Anyone who claims that grow-ops are benign simply has not seen what the police see in these grow homes, and has not experienced what we've experienced in dealing with these public menaces.'' Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter echoed Elgar's call for more assistance from private companies and individuals in dealing with grow houses, which often set up in residential neighbourhoods with stolen electricity that poses a serious fire risk. "This is not a problem that can be solved by one police force, one organization, one ministry or one government,'' said Kwinter. "This is a community problem that can be addressed only if we pool our talents and resources and work together.'' Kwinter told delegates the recent discovery of six children living in squalid conditions in a marijuana grow house in York Region, north of Toronto, shows how urgent the problem really is, especially with estimates that up to 10,000 children in Ontario live in similar circumstances. "Try to imagine what life is like for these kids,'' said Kwinter. "Think about the hazards to which they may have been exposed: chemicals, pesticides, hazardous moulds, not to mention the very real threat of violence and fire.'' Gwen Boniface, commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, talked about the recent raids on the largest-ever grow-op discovered in Canada inside an old Molson brewery in Barrie. "It's typical of these types of operations,'' said Boniface. "They're smart, well-financed and ruthless in their pursuit of profits.'' Hydro One president Tom Parkinson said marijuana grow operations steal millions of dollars in electricity every year. "This is not only a drain on the Ontario economy that affects all electricity customers, who end up paying higher rates, but also a safety issue,'' said Parkinson. Delegates to the Green Tide Summit represent all levels of law enforcement from local police forces to the RCMP and CSIS, as well as lawyers, tenants' groups, real estate councils, electricity distributors, insurers, eight provincial ministries, the federal health and justice departments, and the U.S. Consulate General. Source: Canadian PressAuthor: Keith Leslie, Canadian Press Published: Thursday, March 04, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Canadian PressRelated Articles & Web Sites:Green Tide Shadow Summit http://www.greentide.ca/Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmOntario: A Place To Live & Grow Videohttp://cbc.ca/mondayreport/videos/ontario.htmlFanatics With a Badgehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18440.shtml'We'll Rally Everybody,' Pot Activist Says http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18439.shtmlMillions of Canadians Inhale Despite Pot Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18438.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by kaptinemo on March 05, 2004 at 07:20:57 PT: More pots calling kettles black *"It's typical of these types of operations,'' said Boniface. "They're smart, well-financed and ruthless in their pursuit of profits."*Yes...and you could also say that goes double for the police, who show just how 'ruthless they are in pursuit of profits' in the planning of the forfeiture of valuable real estate and the murder of owner Donald Scott to get it:Many thanks to DrugWarRant http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/ for putting a (sadly, growing) number of names and faces together to juxtapose a human visage against the cold statistics that antis wish the public saw exclusively. (It's hard to put a face on a statistic, and easier to dismiss such a faceless entity.) Here is the tragedy of those innocents sacrificed on the altar of the DrugWar: Drug War Victims http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/08/17/drugWarVictims.htmlHere's what is said about Donald Scott:*Government agencies were interested in the property of this reclusive millionaire. A warrant was issued based on concocted "evidence" of supposed marijuana plantings, and a major raid was conducted with a 32-man assault team. Scott was shot to death in front of his wife. No drugs were found.A later official report found: "It is the District Attorney's opinion that the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department was motivated, at least in part, by a desire to seize and forfeit the ranch for the government. Based in part upon the possibility of forfeiture, Spencer obtained a search warrant that was not supported by probable cause. This search warrant became Donald Scott's death warrant."*'Ruthless in their pusuit of profits'? You tell me...Beware, Canux; your police are doing this Green Tide dog-and-pony show in order to frighten the sheeple and gain the same kind of forfeiture and legal powers their brethren enjoy here. Straight out of the anti playbook, ghost written by the DEA. You see where this goes. You see aht happens to us. Make sure your legislators hear loud and clear a resounding "No!" to increased police powers and forfeiture lest you wind up in the same 'hurt locker' as we reside.Before you start having 'Donald Scott's of your own. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by afterburner on March 05, 2004 at 03:12:02 PT: Not to Worry Green Truth - The Green Tide Shadow Summit "Voices of Reason - Exploring Alternatives to the Drug War" had a lively and successful session Thursday March 4 2004 12 noon to 5 pm. Many cannabis activists and NDP supporters were there, including Marc Emery, Tim Meehan, Alison Myrden, John Gayder, Founding Secretary, LEAP, and many others. Thanks to Dominic S. Cramer, Regional Director, Canadians for Safe Access for organizing the event. Look for coverage as counterpoint to the "sensational anti-cannabis lobbying by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police" in an upcoming Toronto Star article. Soon video of the speakers at Green Truth will be available on POT-TV as well. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on March 04, 2004 at 23:23:51 PT Poll from The CCC List [CCC] Vote for Legalization at Canada.com http://www.canada.com/national/features/marijuana/index.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by mayan on March 04, 2004 at 17:36:55 PT Can't Handle Their Jobs? Maybe the cops should call for legalization if they can't handle it! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on March 04, 2004 at 13:52:19 PT In case You don't want to help police... ...and would rather help the "private sector" instead...Please help Don Nord.Come Join Hemphasis Magazine along with the Hemp College Awareness TourColorado Daze Hemp Festival Saturday, March 6th 2004 7:00 pm Heavenly Daze Brewery 208 S. Kalamath, Denver, CO- Ages 18+ (21 to drink) - Hemp Beer availiable - $5 Donation Requested (Proceeds to Don Nord - Hayden, Colorado medical marijuana patient)Bands: - Hot Seet Herring - Askimbo - sevenandtwofivesDJ4norml DJ's: Tone Tailor, Patrick Everwood, DJ Owen Gruv, Jaberwakee, Uncle RyanHempire Vending: T-shirts, Food, Body Care, Paper, Jeans, Bags, etc.Speakers: Keith Goodenough - WY State Senator Jeremy Briggs - Hemphasis Magazine Agua Das - Original Sources - Hemp I-ScreamFor more information, call: (605) 484-1806 A Keefe Green Production keefegreen yahoo.com http://www.hemphasis.netVenue information: Heavenly Daze Brewery http://www.heavenlydaze.com Phone: (303) 715-1300*************************************************************** Re-distributed as a public service by the: Colorado Hemp Initiative ProjectEmail: cohip levellers.orgWeb: http://www.levellers.org/cohip/"Fighting over 60 years of lies and dis-information with 10,000 years of history and fact."420(I haven't heard any news about Wednesday's benefit in the Steamboat area.) [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on March 04, 2004 at 12:21:07 PT Finally they fight the worst school drug -- FOOD At long last, the school systems are starting to pay attention to the basic nutritional needs of children:http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/03/04/school.nutrition.ap/index.htmlThey should take all the money they use on DARE and use it to educate children about nutrition and exercise.They will cut drug use and obesity at the same time if they get kids exercising more.Having them sit in a DARE classroom watching some paunchy donut and caffeine addict with obvious signs of PTSD and anger management issues and high blood pressure tell them that pot fries their brain -- that does nothing for their phsyical health and gives them a very questionable role model for ideal "drug free living".Instead of DARE, they should just put PE back in the curriculum. Give them yoga and pilates and step aeorbics and weight lifting.Let them play music while they work out and provide healthy snacks.And they should put music lessons back in the curriculum.It's done a lot of damage to kids to accept the Drug War ideology that people can raise a healthy child just by screaming at them about marijuana often enough.Now they've got a bunch of obese diabetic kids on their hands who don't get any exercise.And they still aren't drug free.Instead of going forwards -- things went backwards. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by fearfull on March 04, 2004 at 10:42:02 PT Sam You are right, he sounds just like an Amerikan kop. Some times I feel sorry for them, they have no other alternative way of looking at things. For them the world truely is black & white, they need to see some of the shades of grey. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on March 04, 2004 at 10:37:06 PT squalor Unfortunately, there are tons of children all over Canada living in poor, abusive homes that DON'T have grow-ops in them.How are underpriviliged kids going to get more mileage of out each taxpayer dollar - giving the money to the police, prosecutors, and corrections departments, or giving it to social workers, teachers, work-training programs, etc? You do the math. Or, Canada can join us in becoming a police state. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on March 04, 2004 at 10:02:57 PT um, ah If cannabis were legal, it could be grown in old breweries like Molson used to own. Cannabis could be regulated if the Canadian government were to legalize it. The dangers of an illegal growop would disappear into thin air. Doh!Must be too difficult to think of such possibilities. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 04, 2004 at 09:51:58 PT One of My All Time Favorite Videos! LOL! Ontario: A Place To Live & Grow Video: http://cbc.ca/mondayreport/videos/ontario.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment