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A 4 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday November 27, 2002 Sixty more cops needed contends police association (Continued from page 1) line strength already depleted by officers being seconded for police work elsewhere which while important, says La Course - leaves the streets under-protected. He said the hiring of 60 officers - even over the next two or three years would only cover current shortages on the front line not including retirements and res ignations. "The association and its members recognize the police service has done a good job of hiring replacements for retire ments and resignations, how ever, we believe a workload and staffing analysis is neces sary to update the criteria that is used in determining what the real authorized strength should be," said Atkinson. Added La Course: "We are at least 60 additional officers short in providing the commu nity continued good policing while offering a safe working environment for our officers." In addition to police brass, the Halton Regional Police' Service (HRPS) had 282 First Class constables, as of September, plus 38 Second Class constables, 22 Third Class and 53 Fourth Class. Of this 395-officer total, says La Course, constables staffing the front lines currently number in the `"low 200s." La Course said that, while Halton is a safe community, the region is not immune from crimes such as homicides, home invasions and caijackings. Atkinson - who pledged to play an active and constructive role in any study - is adamant that the HRPA's appeal for a workload and staffing analysis is not some union muscle-flex ing but a request bom of con cern for officer and public safe ty "Something has to give," he said. La Course explained that the HRPA has requested and been granted a meeting with the Services Board to discuss the issue. If the Board is not supportive of a staffing and workload analysis, says Atkinson, the HRPA will decide what steps the associa tion must take to affect the nec essary improvements. "They need to face reality and deal with it," added Atkinson. Grow house raids have doubled in a year (Continued from page A1) Bureau work will lead to warrants being issued for another suspect. The latest Green Sweep (one was held in January, another in April) has added to the ongoing total o f grow operations shut down and reveals that the problem is nowhere close to slowing down. According to Crowell, there were no grow operations shut down in 2000, a number which grew to 20 in 2001 and 46 so far this year. All totaled, police have seized $ 17-million worth of drugs. "We know there are more out there," said Crowell, who is ask ing the public to remain vigilant and keep an eye open for suspi cious or unusual behaviour in order to shrink this number. To that end, residents are encouraged to be aware of signs such as houses whose residents only sporadically attend, appear vacant most of the time and are allowed to become unkempt. Unusual smells may sometimes be detected em anating from a grow house while some or all of the windows may be covered. Bright lights may occasionally be seen in the home. The public awareness cam paign appears to be paying off, since Sgt. Hay said the seizures made this month were the direct unstable walls, higher tempera tures, electrocution and - in some cases - even booby traps. A1 McWhirter, a former police officer and now a broker/manager with RE/M AX Aboutowne Realty, said owners of a former grow house can face problems dealing with their insurance com pany and difficulties in selling the property since disclosure of the hom e's illegal past is necessary. Buyers can also face problems, such as mould, years down the road. "The buyer must be protected after the fact," said McWhirter, who in July hosted a seminar on the issue attended by 120 realtors. "Consumers should understand what they're paying for." Owners can also find them selves on the hook for the cost of stolen electricity, which Bob Myers, of Oakville Hydro, says the utility is determined to recoup. His company has reclaimed $450,000 o f the estimated $520,000 worth of power stolen in connection with Oakville grow houses in the past 12 months, so that these losses are not passed on to customers at large. Myers also explained that the practice o f bypassing hydro meters and rewiring homes effects not only dollar losses, but also the chances of fire and the security of the entire electric system. Halton Regional Police Sgt. Val Hay examines some of the 303 mar ijuana plants seized during a raid at a grow house operation at 2519 Wvnten Way on Nov. 21. result of tips received by police and Crime Stoppers. According to Crowell, it is in the com m unity's interest to remain aware since grow houses have impacts many citizens may not have considered. For example, they compound the dangers faced by firefighters, who might respond to a blaze only to face a situation far more haz ardous than that offered by a nor mal house. Because of the radical alterations done to these buildings in order to steal electricity and vent tell-tale fumes, the structural integrity can be so compromised that fire crews can encounter Dream home early bird winners Kathleen Cunningham, o f North York, and Dorothy Steeves, of Brockville, are the two early Bird draw winners in this year's Community Foundation of Oakville (CFO) Great Dream Home Lottery. The pair each won $20,000 after representatives from KPMG Consulting drew their names Friday. 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