Binky
09-16-2005, 05:37 PM
DLC plays victim
by Wylie Eden
The District of Lake Country is out to dispel the myth that growing marijuana for a living is a victimless crime.
In fact, say municipal officials, the DLC's suspected 28 grow operations actually make victims of the entire community.
However, the impact this growing trend has on taxpayers is seemingly being ignored by the courts, a system critics say is far to lenient on convicted drug traders.
But by pre-submitting a detailed impact statement outlining how marijuana production victimizes taxpayers, officials hope to have more sway with judges when local cases hit the justice system.
Both Lake Country Fire Department chief Steve Windsor and RCMP Sgt. Dwaine Wetteland outlined their submissions for council last Tuesday.
According to Windsor, grow operations pose a serious health risk to his paid on call volunteer staff, but also to those growing the pot.
"Firefighters encounter many risks upon entering these building ranging from booby traps, toxic smoke, as well as the danger of electrocution," he told council.
In most cases firefighters have no idea they are walking into a situation inherently more dangerous than a typical blaze, he adds.
"The increased risk when attending grow operations places firefighters in unacceptable danger," reads the statement.
"Every grow operation we attend, in my view, doubles the chances of death or injury," he said. "This is unacceptable."
Sgt. Wetteland then informed council about the current state of the war on drugs locally.
He related today's situation to 1998, his first year working the beat in the District.
Back then, police were dealing with only eight active files. In contrast, today police have 28 files in progress detailing and profiling suspected pot growers.
However, thus far in 2005 only 13 search warrants were issued and police filed only 11 charges. Of those, an undisclosed number were "turfed" by the justice system due to "so-called" shoddy police work, Wetteland said.
Wetteland said criminal growers can earn as much as $300,000 per year, but the costs to society, at least in dollar amounts, are more difficult to calculate.
But the non-tangible impacts of the trade are definitely affecting society negatively, he said.
The link between drug production and organized crime, for example, is leading to a stark jump in violent crime.
A recent home invasion, as well as an abduction and assault two years ago are just two examples of how drugs can endanger the entire community, he said.
And the costs associated with combating both grow op owners and the associated spin off crime does, eventually, come back to harm taxpayers.
"It takes hundreds of man hours just to get one suspect to court," said Wetteland.
When they manage to get a known grower into court police are hoping more charges stick hopefully deterring others from trying to cash in on 'freedom 35.'
Coun. Jake Thiessen moved a recommendation to send the impact statement off to the courts so that the entire community can be quantified as victims of the drug trade.
http://www.lakecountrynews.net/37/story5.html
by Wylie Eden
The District of Lake Country is out to dispel the myth that growing marijuana for a living is a victimless crime.
In fact, say municipal officials, the DLC's suspected 28 grow operations actually make victims of the entire community.
However, the impact this growing trend has on taxpayers is seemingly being ignored by the courts, a system critics say is far to lenient on convicted drug traders.
But by pre-submitting a detailed impact statement outlining how marijuana production victimizes taxpayers, officials hope to have more sway with judges when local cases hit the justice system.
Both Lake Country Fire Department chief Steve Windsor and RCMP Sgt. Dwaine Wetteland outlined their submissions for council last Tuesday.
According to Windsor, grow operations pose a serious health risk to his paid on call volunteer staff, but also to those growing the pot.
"Firefighters encounter many risks upon entering these building ranging from booby traps, toxic smoke, as well as the danger of electrocution," he told council.
In most cases firefighters have no idea they are walking into a situation inherently more dangerous than a typical blaze, he adds.
"The increased risk when attending grow operations places firefighters in unacceptable danger," reads the statement.
"Every grow operation we attend, in my view, doubles the chances of death or injury," he said. "This is unacceptable."
Sgt. Wetteland then informed council about the current state of the war on drugs locally.
He related today's situation to 1998, his first year working the beat in the District.
Back then, police were dealing with only eight active files. In contrast, today police have 28 files in progress detailing and profiling suspected pot growers.
However, thus far in 2005 only 13 search warrants were issued and police filed only 11 charges. Of those, an undisclosed number were "turfed" by the justice system due to "so-called" shoddy police work, Wetteland said.
Wetteland said criminal growers can earn as much as $300,000 per year, but the costs to society, at least in dollar amounts, are more difficult to calculate.
But the non-tangible impacts of the trade are definitely affecting society negatively, he said.
The link between drug production and organized crime, for example, is leading to a stark jump in violent crime.
A recent home invasion, as well as an abduction and assault two years ago are just two examples of how drugs can endanger the entire community, he said.
And the costs associated with combating both grow op owners and the associated spin off crime does, eventually, come back to harm taxpayers.
"It takes hundreds of man hours just to get one suspect to court," said Wetteland.
When they manage to get a known grower into court police are hoping more charges stick hopefully deterring others from trying to cash in on 'freedom 35.'
Coun. Jake Thiessen moved a recommendation to send the impact statement off to the courts so that the entire community can be quantified as victims of the drug trade.
http://www.lakecountrynews.net/37/story5.html