« Dare To Keep Your Kids Off DARE | Main | Weed Permits Growing »
RCMP Bust 86-year-old for Pot Grow
By Hempology | August 6, 2002
From the Salmon Arm Observer
August 4th, 2002
It was a first for members of the Salmon Arm RCMP.
Police arrested 86-year-old Herman Nathe on charges of production of marijuana, firearms offences and theft of hydro in conjunction with a raid on a Raven-area home on July 11.
A large quantity of marijuana and hydroponic growing equipment was seized from Nathe’s home at 1230-52nd Ave. NE.
In the heat of the summer afternoon, RCMP removed at least three large bags of marijuana plants.
The home, which is screened from the road by large trees and bushes, was also fenced off and neighbours report seeing up to three large German Shepherds on the property.
Nathe has been a longtime resident in the Raven home, with neighbours saying he has lived there over 20 years.
He is scheduled to make a first appearance in Salmon Arm Provincial Court on Sept. 24.
Provincial trend
Marijuana grow operations are in full bloom around the province, and the Shuswap is no exception.
B.C.’s illicit marijuana-growing operations jumped 222 per cent between 1997 and 2000, and police are virtually powerless to halt the growth, says a recent study done for the RCMP by a university criminologist.
The report by Darryl Plecas, a criminologist at the University College of Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, shows that police only catch about five per cent of growing operations through their own investigations.
Plecas says police generally end up with drug charges as a result of responding to public complaints.
The study, funded by the `E’ Division of the RCMP, which is responsible for all of B.C., had Plecas referring to B.C. as `Colombia North.’
He notes in B.C., the volume is so great, it’s extremely difficult for police to keep up.
The study reviewed almost 12,000 cases of alleged marijuana cultivation investigated by police in every B.C. RCMP detachment and municipal police force between 1997 and 2000.
During that time, police seized 1.2 million plants and 8,646 kilograms of harvested marijuana, with an estimated value of between $462 million and $1.25 billion, the study said.
Staff Sgt. Don Tonks of the Salmon Arm detachment says the situation in the Shuswap echoes that of the province.
`I don’t think we are all that different from other areas of the province. I don’t think any department has adequate resources to deal with this.’
The detachment is so overloaded with complaints about possible drug activity that they can not respond to them all.
`We have to respond on a priority basis. If they are not considered a top priority, some of the complaints sit shelved for a while until resources become available.’
Plecas’ report backs up Tonk’s observations. It notes that in 2000 the RCMP couldn’t take action due to lack of resources in 23 per cent of cases.
Tonks says despite the difficulties in handling the volume of cases, it is important for the RCMP to continue their efforts. This is because grow operations are often linked to many other types of crime. For example, indoor grow operations usually involve the theft of hydro and damage to rental property. Drugs are often connected to other types of crime as well.
`The use of drugs extends into people getting involved in crime to fulfill their habit,’ says Tonks.
The study found that in the majority of the 1997-2000 cases, suspects were Caucasian males in their mid-30s, with an average 13-year criminal history.
Fifty-three per cent of people caught running grow-ops also have prior drug convictions and 39 per cent have prior convictions for violent offences.
Topics: Articles | Comments Off
Comments are closed.