South Lake Tahoe reports on pot grow investigation progress

By the City of South Lake Tahoe
In the first month of the City of South Lake Tahoe’s online Report a Grow program, the City has successfully investigated residential marijuana growing operations.
Local residents have utilized the program to provide the City with sufficient information to conduct safety inspections which sometimes may lead to law enforcement actions in cases outside the scope of the Compassionate Use Act. The result of the program has led to the following:

A search warrant was served on a residence in the City, resulting in case of child endangerment and the seizure of over 90 marijuana plants.
— Inspection of eight properties at which grow operations were confirmed and were in compliance with health, safety and building codes for medical marijuana. Residents were informed of the requirement to obtain a permit by December 20, 2011 in compliance with the City’s new law for Residential Medical Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance.
— Two residential properties required law enforcement assistance to conduct an inspection of properties.

The City thanks the community for submitting reports and takes this opportunity to remind the community to submit their reports online at City’s Residential Cultivation Permit webpage http://www.cityofslt.us/RCP or call 530-542-6043.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department provides the following list of observations that could be indicative of marijuana growing operation:

— Strong marijuana odor or “skunk” like smell around the residence.
— Excessive condensation on the windows or on the exterior of the residence.
— Brown discolored “ooze” seeping from the inside out.
— Black tarps or dark covering around the majority of windows.
— Ventilation holes cut into the home.
— Humming noises associated with ventilation fans.
— Signs of power meter tampering. Most marijuana grows draw a significant amount of electricity which would require altering the amperage output for the home.
— Suspicious activity including excessive foot traffic in and out, plastic pots with stems and/or numerous bags of fertilizer and soil with no signs of outdoor gardening. Loading or unloading of equipment from the residence during nighttime hours.
— Visible security cameras around the residence.