Sheri Jones Joins Msp To Eliminate Illegal Marijuana Growing

[bobandtorey]

LANSING, MI (WLNS) - The Tri-County Metro Narcotics Squad teamed up with the Michigan State Police aviation unit Friday on a mission to rid the area of marijuana growing illegally.

Our Sheri Jones, and Chief Photographer David Parks went along for an exclusive "birds eye" view.

 

For hours at a time, the Michigan State Police take to the air to get a unique perspective looking into areas where homeowners may be breaking the law when it comes to growing marijuana.

 

From 500 feet in the air they spotted four growing operations within a 1/4 of a mile of each other in rural Eaton County.

 

Helicopter pilot Lieutenant Patrick Lawrence located the plants and then radioed the Tri-County Metro Narcotics Squad officers on the ground.

 

It's their job to make sure the owners are following the law and in this case they are all were.

 

These aren't budding yet

 

That wasn't the case though for this homeowner in Vermontville. The eight plants he had growing in his backyard were seized.

 

So he did not have a license to grown this? Absolutely not!

 

From there, the team headed south to a swampy area, where metro officers armed with machetes cut their way through the brush and ultimately to the illegal pot plants growing wild there. It was quite a shock to the landowner.

 

“If they can keep drugs out of the hands of kids, I'm all for it,” said Dennis Warner, property owner.

 

The plants are all tagged and brought in as evidence. They'll be added to the 30,000 plants seized this summer in Michigan and the growing season isn't over yet. One recent fly-over by Michigan State Police yielded 15,000 plants.

 

“It's a cartel grow, so we're getting cartel moving up from the southwest border into our state. Weapons were found out in the grow and they build a camp and they move people, sometimes illegal immigrants actually live out there and take care of the grow for them. With that comes violence that we're seeing along the border currently. That's what we don't want in our state,” said First Lt. Chris Bush, Michigan State Police Field Support and Aviation Section Commander.

 

Watch the video above for more from 6 News Sheri Jones.

 

http://www.wlns.com/story/26237114/6-news-exclusive-sheri-jones-joins-msp-to-eliminate-illegal-marijuana-growing

[imiubu]

“If they can keep drugs out of the hands of kids, I'm all for it,” said Dennis Warner, property owner.

Seriously?(sarcasm).

 

"From there, the team headed south to a swampy area, where metro officers armed with machetes cut their

way through the brush and ultimately to the illegal pot plants growing wild there."

I'm not sure when the last time children hacked through the swampy brush areas to find wild growing weed.

 

KEEP THE CHILDREN SAFE!!!  is their bull pucky mantra and the gp gobles it up

[Willy]

And the beat goes on, and on and on ......

[+Malamute]

He said keep the children safe because the plants were actually the homeowners!

 

;-)

[imiubu]

^^

[Dr. Bob]

Helicopters cost around $5000 an hour to operate.  How do you spot a meth lab or crack house from the air?  The truth is these flights are specifically designed to spot marijuana grows.  Going over residential areas indicates they are looking for outdoor medical grows behind homes.  That is a lot of money to be spending to find grandma with the 6 plants she grows for her glaucoma, just so they can play with their helicopter.  Yes, they found a massive grow down in SW Michigan.  It didn't move and has been growing all summer.  Why did it take so long to find it?  BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO BUSY LOOKING FOR SMALL PERSONAL GROWS TO LOOK FOR IT!!!!

 

What else could they use that money for?

 

Good question for the folks in charge of the program.  Let's ask it.

 

Dr. Bob