Home Invasions by Municipal Bullies

Since I started this blog, I’ve been made aware of all kinds of weird actions taken by Municipal Authorities in their attempt to combat Grow-ops. It is a given that hastily constructed Grow-ops without any thought to safety or legality, (i.e. Hells Angels) can be a fire and safety hazard. Given no help by Health Canada in finding and inspecting the Licensed Grows in their spheres of authority, some have come up with creative ways to gain access to and destroy all Grow-ops, legal or otherwise. Bully your way in!!

Allegations have come to my attention from good sources I conveniently can’t remember (Alzheimer’s?) that there has been a revival of “posse comitatus” or Vigilante tactics in use to discourage and suppress all Marijuana Grow-Ops including Licensed Legal growth for Medical use. Its “modus operandi” allegedly is attributed to Fire Chief Len Garis of Surrey, BC the primary opponent of Medical Marijuana. That may be wrong but I have had reports of remarkably similar raids in Port Moody, Toronto and in some Montreal suburbs but over 100 here in Surrey. The Globe today expands this to over 127 home invasions by the Geek Squad in Surrey alone so it seems to be a leadership by example set by Mr. Garis in his own back yard. The game is played as follows:

1. Having decided, for whatever reason, that some residence is being used as a Grow-op, some local Municipal anti-pot crusader puts on his Stetson and appoints himself Sheriff, and calls together his Bigger Bastard Bully crew of a Posse. This usually is made up of several individuals usually a By-Law Inspector, Fireman, at least 2 Cops, and a Technician from the Health Department. Having been assembled they now descend on the suspect residence usually with several City vehicles and a cop car obstructing the road.
2. When the unsuspecting resident answers the knock on his door, he is confronted by the Inspector, backed up by his Goon Squad, who announces he is going to check the premises for a reported grow-op. There are three possible outcomes: Innocent, Guilty, and Legal
3. If it is a complete mistake and the resident is innocent, they are usually granted immediate entry and the place is clean. There’s a shameful apology for the intrusion and they disappear.
4. If entry is flatly refused unless they produce a warrant they use the refusal for grounds for a warrant that can be printed out in the Cop car while they wait. It’s just a matter of time, any illegal Grow-op is doomed.
5. If the resident who answers says yes he has a legal grow-op but questions their right to enter without a warrant there is an immediate hostile response from the BBB boys.  Backed up by the Cops, they intimidate the resident and get entry. Verbal hostility and visible threat works, after all, the guy is legal, he has no problem. Right? Not!
6. Once inside, the Cops do not hesitate to destroy the plants, then determine their legality. 
7. Concurrently with the Cops violent destruction of six months medication, the other guys are busy doing their thing. The By-law Inspector is looking for the least violation but even if there is none to be found, there is still punishment for legally growing. It turns out the Health Dept Technician has taken several hundred swabs that must all be tested to eliminate the dreaded black mould that could be lingering, and to detect toxic environmentally hazardous materials. He is handed a bill for $1500.
8. The crew leaves. They don’t even apologize for vandalizing and destroying the poor bastards’ Grow-op and thousands in damages and there is diddley shit you can do without a ton of Legal Fees.
9. Three hours earlier he was watching TV; now he’s looking at a $1500 bill in his hand. He’s damned if he pays it and he’s damned if he doesn’t. It is straightforward Blackmail and he loses either way..
10. If he pays it he is submitting to an illegal fine and caving into pressure
11. If he refuses to pay and even pays a lawyer to get the charges thrown out, the illegal fee has by now been turned over to a collection agency who will badger him to death if he can’t afford more legal fees to make them cease and desist. His credit rating is shot all to hell and I have no doubt when he hears of it, Chief Garis will just sit back with a smug grin. Persecution apparently is his hobby.

The problem is that not only is this illegal and abusive of power it’s only copycat behaviour based on our fearless leader Stephen Harper’s contempt for the law. He even ignores the Supreme Court and does as he pleases when it comes to inflicting punishment and avoiding any attempt at harm reduction. He and Chief Garis share the same hobby!