In mid October, police raided a residence near Brimley and Finch and found a drug lab with an inventory of about two million units of ecstasy.  This was the same property, belonging to the same owner, in which was found a commercial marijuana grow operation last year.  Media reports describe garbage on site that had still not been cleaned up from last year’s raid.

 

You’d like to think that crime shouldn’t happen twice in the same spot. You’d like to think that a property owner would be sensitive to the cumulative deterrents of police raids, negative attention, and lost income after the first charges. You’d also like to think that society could design deterrents to minimize this type of antisocial activity.

 

This story isn’t about restricting the supply of cannabis that is used and abused by about 15% of Torontonians.  Rather it’s about solutions to a crime that has over quadrupled from 80 instances in 2002, that nearly burned down a row of houses downtown earlier this year, that is usually related to organized crime, has been linked to murder, and creates collateral damage among unsuspecting neighbours and residents.  The direct health risks of living in the same building are so severe that children found in these residences are routinely put under the protection of the Children’s Aid Society.

 

Discovering that ecstasy lab showed that our deterrents are not working. 

 

To be fair, over the past few years Council has made positive moves. Goaded by Cr Del Grande, last month Council approved a bylaw under which the City would invoice property owners for the costs of remediating properties used as marijuana grow operations.  It’s a good first step.

 

But as the case this week shows, there’s more that needs to be done. Fortunately the City has the ability to do so.

 

To start, both the City’s bylaw and the Province’s enabling legislation have defined the problem solely in terms of marijuana grow ops. To keep current, laws need to be updated to include clandestine drug labs.

 

One idea supported by the Province’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, but discontinued in Toronto, is to publish a list properties used as grow ops or clandestine labs on the police’s website.

 

Not only do grow operations and drug labs risk health and property, but each uses large amounts of resources that can be best used elsewhere.  According to some studies in the United States, the costs of investigating, raiding, prosecuting and finally remediating, and counselling for these operations typically runs over $100 000. 

 

City staff can order the remediation of the property, set reasonable deadlines for completion and charge full costs if the work is not done to satisfaction.  Not only does the City now have the obligation to deal with grow operations, but it can collect unpaid fees and remediation costs as taxes.

 

As taxes, the City’s claims come before owners as well as financial institutions.  Seeing a few remediated buildings sold to recoup taxes will get the attention of absentee landlords and lenders.

 

Just as we have placed a responsibility for hotel guests’ security with hotel owners, and bar patrons’ sobriety with publicans, the City can put a responsibility on property owners who allow their properties to become a risk to society through its ability to assess its costs and fees as taxes.

 

The ability to deal with this problem is available, and the need is apparent.  What’s left is the will.