Police switching off power on dope growers

[Home_Grown]

Police switching off power on dope growers

 

By Philippe Moulier in Surrey, British Columbia

 

October 10, 2007 12:49pm

Article from: Agence France-Presse

 

IT'S not hard for police to identify the pot growers in the western Canadian town of Surrey: they merely scan residents' power bills to determine who is using a lot more power than the average homeowner.

Armed with that information, local authorities cut the power to the home of the suspected offender, often leaving scores of pot growers without the artifical light and water needed to cultivate their home-grown cash crop.

 

British Columbia, with a population of four million, has an estimated 20,000 inhabitants who raise a potent local marijuana known as BC Bud.

 

The plants, collectively worth nearly $C7 billion ($9.06 billion) each year, account for a whopping 6 per cent of the province's power consumption.

 

The labour-intensive crop is an energy sponge thanks in large part to the 1000-watt halogen lights, fans, irrigation pumps and other equipment needed for their cultivation. As a result, the pot growers' energy bills are about three times that of the average consumer.

 

Those energy consumption patterns drew the notice of authorities, however.

 

Armed with a list of likely offenders, a team of inspectors - including a firefighter, an electrician, an admistrative employee and two policmen - is dispatched to each suspect residence.

 

"We inspect between 70 and 80 homes a month," said Len Garis, head of firefighters in Surrey, near Vancouver.

 

According to the city, pot growers' homes have a 24 times greater chance that the average home of catching fire and burning down.

 

In the event of electrical problems, the current to the home is cut and cannot be re-established until repairs are made.

 

The inspection team rarely sees the real target of the operation - the pot plants - because authorities are obliged by law to notify residents at least 48 hours prior to an inspection.

 

The early tip usually gives the home pot grower more that adequate time to stow the illicit crop.

 

"It's not about a criminal operation, but simply a means of insuring security for the people,'' said Joel Giebelhaus, an aide to Surrey's mayor.

 

Since the beginning of inspections in 2006, the number of home cannabis plantations has dropped 65 per cent in Surrey and 14 other towns in the province participating in the power-cutoff approach to the war on drugs.

 

Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22562209-13762,00.html

 

Let's hope they don't start implementing that here!

 

Also, "LMFAO" at 1000W Halogen lights!! hahaha!

Edited October 10, 2007 by Home_Grown

[pipeman]

Since the beginning of inspections in 2006, the number of home cannabis plantations has dropped 65 per cent in Surrey and 14 other towns in the province participating in the power-cutoff approach to the war on drugs.

 

what crap. how could they have any idea what % home cannabis "plantations" has dropped by when they have no idea how many there were to begin with!

 

wankers.

[nouseforaname]

This stupid idea will just push people off the grid for their own safety which they will then say is even worse

[s4l]

The inspection team rarely sees the real target of the operation - the pot plants - because authorities are obliged by law to notify residents at least 48 hours prior to an inspection.

 

thats nice of them

[grok]

i hope that never happens in OZ....

 

..or i will have to go bush.....get me a bush basher...and maybe drink a few pan galactic gargle blasters...u know the one---drinking its like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick!! made with ol janx spirit..and other good stuff.. thhgttg...

[Pam]

Wow, if this is to be believed, the Canadians are growing with one thousand watt halogen lights!!!