Police in Clay County, Florida (which is adjacent to Jacksonville, Florida) are making an increasing number of arrests for operating marijuana grow houses, according to an article on Firstcoastnews.com. A Clay County Sheriff’s Office representative said they made 15 arrests for marijuana grow houses in 2009 and 12 already this year. Police say that these houses look just like any other house from the outside. However, inside, there is often an elaborate system that creates an environment where marijuana can grow indoors.
So if marijuana grow houses look normal from the outside, how do police find out where they are? The number one way police find out about who is growing, manufacturing or selling drugs is from other people. When police make arrests, the person arrested may talk about others in the drug business to try and gain favor in their cases. However, marijuana grow houses have certain characteristics that can alert police. There may be a generator outside that is used to power the lighting equipment. There may be security cameras used to see who is approaching the house. The windows may be taped shut so no one can see through any cracks in the blinds or between the blinds and the windows. The electric bill may be inordinately high because of the lighting equipment inside. Marijuana grow houses may look like normal houses in the neighborhood, but the police have developed ways to locate them and have been making more arrests as a result in the Jacksonville, Florida area.