Grow-ops Growing Bigger

RCMP crime analyst,Parvin Girn did a master's thesis on marijuana grow ops.She says the average grow-op is now located in a house on a large lot,hidden behind bushes and growing more dope than ever.This is due to the recent crack down by authorities,she reports.She does give a mention to the collusion of the power company but only as a side bar.The average grow,sits on a 18,113 foot lot.She claims police have a harder time getting warrants due to having to remain off site to do observations.Any-one that buys that ,I have a bridge in Brooklyn you can buy,cheap.The average grow op has expanded to 488 plants from 277 with 178% more lights.Shipments have gone from 50 lbs to 500.Grows use more than 93 kws. of electricity,three times normal consumption.They are evidently 24 times more likely to catch fire.Homes are guarded by dogs,booby traps,guns and axes.The weapons are there to thwart rip offs.The 2 billion dollar industry results in sentences of ,"a few months",moans sgt.Scott Rintoul of the RCMP.Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts,one of the most ill informed and out spoken drug war proponents says we in B.C. are a world leader in the distribution of drugs.For once she probably has a point.She claims Surrey has reduced it's grow ops from 900 to 40.I guess she gets daily reports from growers.Figures do show that Vancouver grows,"coming to police attention"Are down 43%.Rintoul says he can draw,"an indirect connection to gang activity and shootings in the Lower Mainland".That means it's an educated guess.A guess is a guess.At least Rintoul admits that it's electric inspections that have led to increased police efficiency.Evidently once a grow is busted,it is unlikely to re start in the same location.Duh!The following is a list of stats in the report:Grows coming to the attention of police,by jurisdiction:Mission-2004 151 2005 165 2006 207 change +37% Abbotsford'04-90,05-60,06-119+32% Richmond'04-72,'05-76,'06 78+8% New West '04-18,'05-17,'06-19+6% Surrey'04-717,'05-699,'06-752+5% So much for Ms.Watts beaking off. Delta"04-44,'05-44,'06-45+2% North Van'04-26'05-19,'06-20-23% Langley'04-144'05-155,'06-110-24% Ridge Meadows'04-234,'05-192,'06-168-28% Burnaby "04-244,'05-197,'06174-29% Port Moody '04-7'05-4,'06-5-29% I know that's an embarrassing lack of production but it's a very small and family oriented place. Coquitlam'04-287,'05-229,'06184-36% Vancouver'04-270,'05-220,'06-153-43% Totals:'04-2,304 '05-2,077 06-2,034-12%.I'm told the figures for 2004 were derived based on the average of actual '05&'06 figures.Now they tell me.This information was obtained from:PIRS andPRIME.The article and all relevant material can be garnered,without my smart assed comments ,from:The Vancouver Province newspaper.Try theprovince.com.If that doesn't work,blame the paper.I couldn't locate a web address.