GoldChico
New Member
Demand for B.C. marijuana has also created a demand for the services of the RCMP Green Team.
Formed in Nanaimo five years ago, the Green Team specifically targets marijuana grow operations.
The RCMP has several different mandates, from federal drugs which is looking at huge conspiracies in trafficking on almost a global scope, to a local perspective, the municipal drug unit which concentrates efforts on street level trafficking of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine," said Const. Beth Blackburn of the RCMP drug awareness services.
And the Green Team is a concentrated effort in regards to marijuana grow shows."
Made up with resources from the Nanaimo RCMP detachment, Green Team enforcement works on a continual bases with the number of officers growing as the need arises.
On any given time we could be down to a couple of people targeting the grow shows. Right now we're at six and they have been busy," said Blackburn.
If they see stats go up on grow ops, they will do a targeted enforcement."
Blackburn said for the most part, police are trying to target the big grow operation that are solely for profit.
They are only driven by the almighty dollar and don't care how harmful it is to the youth in this community, how harmful it is to the environment," she said.
That is the majority of what we see. The likelihood of the Green Team going in and kicking down your door for two or three plants used personally is about the same as winning the lottery."
And with for-profit grow operations, comes danger.
One thing we are finding is more and more weapons including rifles, handguns, a crossbow, a grenade-these pose serious risks not only to the public but the enforcement officers as well," said Blackburn.
A lot of times these weapons are not there because the police are coming after them, but because they are worried about getting ripped off by someone else."
The public plays a big part in the success of the Green Team, becoming the eyes and ears for police.
They are going to have more knowledge that something is not right in their neighbourhood than we are and they can give us a starting point," said Blackburn.
And to think this is only a south Nanaimo issue or on reserve or out in the Cedar area is just not true.
You live in a nice beautiful neighbourhood in north Nanaimo and all of a sudden your neighbour has a grow show."
And Blackburn also knows the public can get frustrated with the speed of the legal system.
It's difficult to catch the person at the top of the pile profiting because they won't be sitting at some grow tending the plants,' she said.
It will be some drug-addicted lackey who owes money or is trying to get into the Hell's Angels or some Vietnamese gang.
I know the public gets frustrated thinking we're not doing anything but I personally think the we are doing the job to the best of our ability given the resources that we have and the parameters we have within the legal system."
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005, BC Newspaper Group
Contact: edit@nanaimo.vinewsgroup.com
Website: Home - Nanaimo News Bulletin
Formed in Nanaimo five years ago, the Green Team specifically targets marijuana grow operations.
The RCMP has several different mandates, from federal drugs which is looking at huge conspiracies in trafficking on almost a global scope, to a local perspective, the municipal drug unit which concentrates efforts on street level trafficking of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine," said Const. Beth Blackburn of the RCMP drug awareness services.
And the Green Team is a concentrated effort in regards to marijuana grow shows."
Made up with resources from the Nanaimo RCMP detachment, Green Team enforcement works on a continual bases with the number of officers growing as the need arises.
On any given time we could be down to a couple of people targeting the grow shows. Right now we're at six and they have been busy," said Blackburn.
If they see stats go up on grow ops, they will do a targeted enforcement."
Blackburn said for the most part, police are trying to target the big grow operation that are solely for profit.
They are only driven by the almighty dollar and don't care how harmful it is to the youth in this community, how harmful it is to the environment," she said.
That is the majority of what we see. The likelihood of the Green Team going in and kicking down your door for two or three plants used personally is about the same as winning the lottery."
And with for-profit grow operations, comes danger.
One thing we are finding is more and more weapons including rifles, handguns, a crossbow, a grenade-these pose serious risks not only to the public but the enforcement officers as well," said Blackburn.
A lot of times these weapons are not there because the police are coming after them, but because they are worried about getting ripped off by someone else."
The public plays a big part in the success of the Green Team, becoming the eyes and ears for police.
They are going to have more knowledge that something is not right in their neighbourhood than we are and they can give us a starting point," said Blackburn.
And to think this is only a south Nanaimo issue or on reserve or out in the Cedar area is just not true.
You live in a nice beautiful neighbourhood in north Nanaimo and all of a sudden your neighbour has a grow show."
And Blackburn also knows the public can get frustrated with the speed of the legal system.
It's difficult to catch the person at the top of the pile profiting because they won't be sitting at some grow tending the plants,' she said.
It will be some drug-addicted lackey who owes money or is trying to get into the Hell's Angels or some Vietnamese gang.
I know the public gets frustrated thinking we're not doing anything but I personally think the we are doing the job to the best of our ability given the resources that we have and the parameters we have within the legal system."
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005, BC Newspaper Group
Contact: edit@nanaimo.vinewsgroup.com
Website: Home - Nanaimo News Bulletin
