Nothing new but an interesting read..power companies and LEO

[Milhouse]

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/28/police-suspecting-home-pot-growing-get-power-use-data.html?sid=101

 

[tr1ck_]

"Gahanna detectives staking out two homes since last year recently requested "billing detail for these addresses, including the subscriber information"

At least the are staking out the homes for a while before going to the electric companies, this gives the paranoid grower a good chunk of time to notice something fishy and get spooked.

 

[ddrew]

Standard stuff, pigs get a tip, do a stake out, dig through trash, then get a subpoena for the power use.

It's actually reassuring that the electric comp in OH is not reporting high usage on their own, but instead only when receiving a subpoena forcing them to do so.

What's this crap about tanning under the lights?
I thought it was the wrong kind of light for tanning.

"When police get a tip related to suspicious activity in a home, they might send undercover officers to stake it out. But if nothing illegal is observed, they might seek power-use records.

"How else can I get an indicator to get probable cause if I can't see anything?" said Marotta.

If a growing operation is inside, the utility records reveal far higher energy use than at comparable homes because of the high-wattage bulbs needed for growing.

"It will generally be three to five times more than anyone else," Marotta said. "These grow lights draw a tremendous amount of wattage. You have to mimic the sun. You can suntan under these things."The subpoena typically seeks records for the address under investigation and a few nearby homes for comparison. Police cannot survey large areas."

 

[Milhouse]

Yah there was nothing earth shattering in the article. I was just perusing the google news category (keyword: Marijuana) and saw this article. It is always fun to read the many articles in the nation about weed and is terribly convenient in Google news.

I bet you could get burned if you were under a 1k hps for some length of time. Maybe i am wrong but tanning beds use fluoros and they can burn the shit out of you, i can only imagine what a MH/HPS could do.

 

[ddrew]

I'm in my room for at least an hour everyday with the lights on, if there was any truth to the tanning thing I would practically be black by now.
And I am alabaster, late winter white.

 

[compost]

I hope the guy with computers sues the shit out of that police force for unreasonable search. Sounds like they raided his house based on electricity usage.

 

[tr1ck_]

I could be completely wrong, but for some reason I was thinking it was the UV light that causes tanning, something that HPS lack for the most part. You could probably get a decent tan in a MH or CMH room though

 

[ItsGrowTime]

It's actually reassuring that the electric comp in OH is not reporting high usage on their own, but instead only when receiving a subpoena forcing them to do so.

Doesn't sound like it to me:

Sometimes, high electricity use doesn't lead investigators to drugs. A federal investigation in the Powell area turned into a surprise for detectives.

"We thought it was a major grow operation ... but this guy had some kind of business involving computers," Marotta said. "I don't know how many computer servers we found in his home."

So who was the tip from if the guy is just a web developer? No one. The cops do go fishing for high usage and then try to build a case around it. When they run out of tips you better believe they'll try to manufacture a case to continue justifying their funding.

 

[thingshappening]

Doesn't sound like it to me:



So who was the tip from if the guy is just a web developer? No one. The cops do go fishing for high usage and then try to build a case around it. When they run out of tips you better believe they'll try to manufacture a case to continue justifying their funding.

But how would they start a fishing expedition without a subpoena in this case? The electric company seems to imply it requires one. Granted, I suspect the electric company is telling a half-truth; I suspect they hand over everything on a whim. But if the electric company truly is requiring subpoena's, that's a huge positive for growers, as cops can't just go fishing.

Really, if your electric company requires subpoena's, then your electric company is 100 percent not a concern. In order for cops to get a subpoena they need to have a suspicion of you in the first place. But in the real world, if pigs sniff something on you, you're fucked anyway. Electric company or no electric company.

This article provided me with some relief.

 

[Milhouse]

I tend to agree with ItsGrowTime on this one! For what reason would they have been suspicious of the computer guy other than high power bill? I am sure the power companies would like to talk like they are on the consumer side. Do you really think that many power company employees who most likely hate thier job are really going to stand up for some people they dont even know. I doubt it highly!

 

[softyellowlight]

I'm in my room for at least an hour everyday with the lights on, if there was any truth to the tanning thing I would practically be black by now.
And I am alabaster, late winter white.

MH/CMH lamps emit UV-B, part of the spectrum that causes tanning/burning/skin cancer.

 

[darby crash]

.This article provided me with some relief.

A false sense of relief. Dont fool yourself. Your power co. will report you to the pigs if you are using too much 'trcity. Its not the pigs fishing its your power co. snitching.

 

[thingshappening]

A false sense of relief. Dont fool yourself. Your power co. will report you to the pigs if you are using too much 'trcity. Its not the pigs fishing its your power co. snitching.

There is evidence suggesting this is true and false, depending on the company.

As I stated, I tend to believe that your average man is a weak pushover, utterly petrified of law enforcement. Thus, when LEO requests information- any information, from almost anybody- it is received.

That the electric company spokesman even gives enough of a shit to address the "required" nature of subpoena's is something I see as a positive.

 

[darby crash]

That the electric company spokesman even gives enough of a shit to address the "required" nature of subpoena's is something I see as a positive.

Things, baby, yer only seeing 1/2 of the problem. When the little piggies come a callin to the power co. Ya aint seein the other 1/2 the power co snitchin on ya!

Let me paint you a senario that will illustrate my point. Lets take me for example, Im gearin up for a run here in the next couple of weeks. Ordered my beans 20 femmed auroa indicas and gonna use 2 flower rooms 2k hps and 10 plants in dwcs each room. Im gonna do the flip flop to avoid 12 hr spikes . Now for me at six n half cents kwh (winter rates till may I think) 4kw is only gonna cost me about 100 bucks including tax a month.

Since this will be in a grow house i expect total monthly to be about 150 all together. Not bad right. Kinda fits into the neighborhood. Yet if I upgrade to 10kw lites then bill will be about 600 or more since im gonna need to cool a lot more with that type of wattage. All it takes is some asshole at the power co. to get suspicious and pass a tip to the piggies.

 

[Deft]

MH/CMH lamps emit UV-B, part of the spectrum that causes tanning/burning/skin cancer.

Yep CMH will bleach stuff like the sun.

 

[Onepunchko]

Dont forget that power companies are businesses and definately would rather have our money then not have it. Pay bills on time in full and IMO, you are alot less likely to have a problem.