Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and Dr. Darryl Plecas of the University of the Fraser Valley will launch a set of guide books Monday aimed at helping communities tackle the problem of marijuana grow operations. The books will be launched at the Union of BC Municipalities convention when they speak on the topic and provide insights on how municipalities can respond.
“Community Response to Marijuana Grow Operations: A Guide Towards Promising Practices” and “Responding to Marijuana Grow Operations: A Community Handbook” will be effective tools for any local government attempting to shut down marijuana grow operations.
“The Handbook shares what we have learned about dealing with this problem over the last five years,” stated Mayor Watts. “This initiative was a key part of our Crime Reduction Strategy and because all British Columbians have the right to live in safe, crime-free neighbourhoods, I believe that all communities must work together and share best practices.”
Co-authored by Surrey’s Fire Chief Len Garis and University of the Fraser Valley’s Dr. Darryl Plecas, Dr. Irwin Cohen and Amanda V. McCormick, the guides provide practical advice as well as valuable research on the topic.
“Surrey’s success may mean that the problem has been displaced somewhat to other jurisdictions,” said Dr. Plecas.”There is no doubt that other communities need to take advantage of the approach that Surrey has developed including hard-won provincial legislation changes.”
“These guide books were developed in part because we wished we had had something like this when we first started,” stressed Chief Garis, “now other communities can quickly asses what it will take to put into place the necessary teams and processes.”
The guides are available to be downloaded for free from the City of Surrey’s crime reduction website: crimereduction.surrey.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Keurvorst
Communications and Community Relations
Mayor’s Office 604.591.4192/604.375.4584