Capt. Richard Corriea: llegal pot 'grow' busted

In the early morning hours on March 1, Richmond Station officers responded to a single car injury accident on Park Presidio Boulevard. On arrival, officers found a damaged unoccupied car that had struck a light pole. They found so much blood inside the car that they became concerned for the driver's well being.

The vehicle was registered to a commercial building's address on the 5900 block of California Street. The officers responded to the address, where they met several individuals who said the owner was in the area and was covered with blood. They told the officers that the suspect ran out the back door of the building just as the police arrived. The officers also noticed a strong smell of marijuana. The officers went inside the building and discovered a marijuana cultivation operation. The owner of the vehicle was apprehended and arrested for numerous felony charges, including cultivating marijuana, hit and run and driving under the influence. I think you may find some of the officers' observations helpful in assessing the risks occasioned by large-scale marijuana cultivation in our densely populated community.

This "grow," as it's called in police work, was located in a storefront type commercial building. Inside, there was a partition separating the front of the store from the back. On the ground level officers located many marijuana plants drying on lines, large bags of bulk marijuana and small bags of cut and dried product ready for sale. The entire basement area was set up to grow marijuana and officers confiscated 290 marijuana plants, including many large adult plants. The magnitude of the operation was quite large in terms of the production capacity of the operation, size of the building and nature of the surrounding neighborhood.

The officers who discovered the "grow" were doing good follow-up work checking on the well being of the individual injured in the accident. Their discovery of the marijuana facility, while the result of good police intuition (and sense of smell), was, none-the-less, by chance. The operation may have continued on for some time without discovery had the driver not fled to his illegal business after crashing his car. Maybe it would have never been discovered or maybe it would have come to our attention after a fire or some other criminal activity.

There were people sleeping in second floor residential units above the storefront. Given the high intensity lighting, heaters, blowers and pumps utilized in the "grow," all powered through inadequate wiring, the risk of fire was extreme. The wiring was installed without circuit breakers. Moreover, the commercial unit had been converted rather haphazardly into a residence, presumably for the operators. A fire in this corner location, with wood frame homes on each side, could have been a catastrophe.

Given the magnitude of the operation and amount of marijuana on site, the facility was a high value target for criminals who attack illicit businesses. A "grow" like this one could well have become the site of an armed "takeover" robbery or a robbery-related kidnapping. The risk of harm is high when you consider that 21st Avenue and California Street is part of a vibrant commercial area that supports nearby residents, and within a block one finds the Alamo Elementary School, Gold Star Laundry, Rumblefish Bistro, Rainbow Wash, Cal's Pet Supply, Aki's Cleaners, Bazaar Cafe, Angelina's and the 6001 California Market.

I am delighted that the officers discovered this illegal operation and arrested the perpetrator. The city family responded through firm action by the SF Department of Building Inspection and the SF Fire Department. Immediate corrective action was ordered to make the structure safe. I personally met with the building inspector and the fire inspector, and I stood by while they met with the owner of the property. One fire official insisted on immediate action because the structure was too dangerous to send firefighters inside in the event of a fire.

During the month of March Richmond Station's plain-clothes officers served search warrants at "grows" at two residences in the Outer Richmond. While not as large as the California Street "grow," both were noteworthy because of their dangerous wiring and construction.

If you see anything unusual in your neighborhood, which sometimes may just be a lack of usual activity at a residence coupled with a strange smell, please call Richmond Station Lt. Mark Mahoney at (415) 666-3042. You can also leave a message on our anonymous tip line by calling (415) 668-7387.

In an emergency or to report any crime in progress, you should call 911.

Bicycle Thefts

The station has received more than 20 reports of bicycle thefts in the last 30 days, many of which were stolen from apartment building garages.

Please visit the SF Bicycle Coalition's Web site at www.sfbike.org for more information about theft prevention.

The suspect from the December robbery on the 100 Block of Ninth Avenue remains in custody. The next court date is April 14, at 9 a.m., in Department 10 at the Hall of Justice. The case is on for plea and counsel, and it is possible that the court will set a preliminary hearing date at that time.

Capt. Richard Corriea is the commanding officer at the Richmond Station.