Ontario Crime Stoppers targets marijuana growers

By Richard Starnes
The Ottawa Citizen

An Ontario Crime Stoppers office has issued an enterprising WANTED poster.
This face is neither unshaven nor unkempt. It's a marijuana leaf and it
comes with a doubleyourmoney offer.

In an effort to harvest a crop of drug farmers, the HaldimandNorfolk and
Tillsonburg Crime Stoppers is calling on the public to be on the lookout
for marijuana plants popping up in local fields.

"Just like legitimate farmers, now is the time when people will be planting
their marijuana crops," says program coordinator Lisa Wies. "And we want to
catch them at it.

"This is a region classified as 100,000 people or less but our stats to
date show police have seized over $10million in narcotics. That's all
drugs, not just marijuana. But it sure is a problem."

The Tillsonburg area, famed as tobaccogrowing country, is predominately a
farming community and prime land for pot production. That's an excellent
reason for Crime Stoppers to add a little incentive for people to
anonymously squeal on their neighbors. So, for the next two months, any
information leading to seizure and arrests will net twice the usual reward.

"Normally we pay anything from $50 to $1,000," says Ms. Wies.

"This time we have doubled the cash rewards which could be as high as
$2,000."

The poster carries a picture of a marijuana plant to help those who would
not otherwise recognize it. And Ms. Wies pinpoints some of the favourite
hideaways.

"It often grows beside creeks," she says.

"Near corn fields is very popular because they are high and hide it. And
look out for the south side of fields which is good for maximum sun
exposure. And look for trails or unusual traffic in the area."