Dec 11, 2007 6:16 pm US/Central
Police Find That Local Pot Operations Are Growing
(WCCO)
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High-grade marijuana is four times more addictive than commercial grade, and those growing it will stop at nothing to protect their property.
CBS
More people are finding ways to make big money growing high-grade marijuana. Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek is concerned about the violence that goes with it.
"Easy money. Violent money," he said.
Stanek tallied up the numbers from nearly the last two years. His office, along with police and other law enforcement from cooperating drug task forces have seized nearly $29 million in high-grade marijuana. That's a dramatic increase, said Stanek, and he's worried about it for another reason.
"These are bad guys who use those firearms; rifles, shotguns, automatic weapons, handguns to protect their assets, to protect property, to protect their marijuana trade and that's violence," said Stanek. Law enforcement officials have also seized 60 guns the last few years.
High-grade marijuana is four times more addictive than commercial grade, and those growing it will stop at nothing to protect their property. It took 20 minutes for officers to breach the inside basement door of a home in Bloomington, Minn.
Some homes look normal from the outside, but they're filled with high-grade marijuana growing operations on the inside. Stanek said these homes are everywhere throughout Hennepin County, even in up-scale neighborhoods.
In nearly the last two years, members of local drug task forces have seized more than 300 pounds of processed marijuana. Their work will continue to be sure what is still secret, is exposed.
Stanek said less marijuana and fewer guns on the streets should mean communities are much safer.
He wants everyone to look out for problem homes. Constant flow of traffic is one give-away as well as people going in and out of homes. Bed sheets might also hang over windows to hide what is going on inside the home.
"Violence associated with drug-dealing happens day in and day out, and that's something I'm concerned about as Sheriff. And neighborhood and communities are concerned about as well," said Stanek.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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