midwestbluntman
06-08-2007, 06:41 PM
Rural Dearborn County residents need to be on the lookout for suspicious activity, vehicles, four-wheelers and people tending marijuana plots.
The Dearborn County Special Crimes Unit will be focusing on marijuana eradication, and needs residents' help to do so through the fall harvest, said SCU detective Shane McHenry.
Marijuana growers often cultivate it on the property of others, and in cornfields or in heavily wooded areas so the plants can't be seen from the roadway, said McHenry.
Last summer the SCU located two indoor marijuana growing locations and two outdoor locations, and so far this year the detectives have uncovered four indoor growing locations and one outdoor location, said SCU Unit coordinator Tom McKay.
Growers may leave a path into the cornfield or woods, leave behind fertilizer containers or tools, he said.
"Do not confront these people," warned McKay, adding people should report the activity to the SCU, 1-812-537-3571, county dispatch, 1-812-537-3431, or 1-800-543-1149. Callers can remain anonymous.
Growers can operate anywhere in Dearborn County. "We had a couple of growers operating around Dillsboro, one of those was an indoor and outdoor grow. We even had one indoor grow in Hidden Valley Lake," said McKay.
About 100 marijuana plants were seized this year and last year. A fully grown marijuana plant yields about a pound, but not all the plants were mature, he said.
Growers also have turned to small groupings of plants, three to five, and have them scattered over several square yards. The small groupings are harder to spot. "We're getting maybe a tenth of what is out there," he said.
The Dearborn County Special Crimes Unit will be focusing on marijuana eradication, and needs residents' help to do so through the fall harvest, said SCU detective Shane McHenry.
Marijuana growers often cultivate it on the property of others, and in cornfields or in heavily wooded areas so the plants can't be seen from the roadway, said McHenry.
Last summer the SCU located two indoor marijuana growing locations and two outdoor locations, and so far this year the detectives have uncovered four indoor growing locations and one outdoor location, said SCU Unit coordinator Tom McKay.
Growers may leave a path into the cornfield or woods, leave behind fertilizer containers or tools, he said.
"Do not confront these people," warned McKay, adding people should report the activity to the SCU, 1-812-537-3571, county dispatch, 1-812-537-3431, or 1-800-543-1149. Callers can remain anonymous.
Growers can operate anywhere in Dearborn County. "We had a couple of growers operating around Dillsboro, one of those was an indoor and outdoor grow. We even had one indoor grow in Hidden Valley Lake," said McKay.
About 100 marijuana plants were seized this year and last year. A fully grown marijuana plant yields about a pound, but not all the plants were mature, he said.
Growers also have turned to small groupings of plants, three to five, and have them scattered over several square yards. The small groupings are harder to spot. "We're getting maybe a tenth of what is out there," he said.