San Bernardino County teams from Land Use Services’ Cannabis Unit and the Sheriff’s Department served a warrant at a vacant parcel in El Mirage on Sept. 23 and found an estimated 85,632 pounds of processed cannabis, the county said.

All material on site required removal and destruction; crews mobilized additional staff, trucks and trailers and completed the removal in one day, which eliminated the need for overnight security and reduced operational impacts.

Because of the volume, Code Enforcement requested support from its Rapid Response Program; that unit provides rapid, specialized help for complex code enforcement challenges.

Investigators locate suspected grow sites using public reports via WeTip, tips from other agencies and regular scouting in unincorporated areas; the Cannabis Unit works alongside the Sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Team.

The teams coordinate with the California Department of Cannabis Control, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District’s Hazmat team when cases require outside support.

The Code Enforcement Cannabis Unit has investigated more than 1,550 cannabis-related cases in the past decade; the unit adjusts enforcement strategies as illegal cultivators change methods and works with the Nuisance Abatement Program to address hazardous or abandoned properties.

Abatement activities include inspections, notices, contractor coordination, warrants and cleanup; costs are billed to property owners and unpaid fees can result in liens or special assessments.

Sources & methodology

This report was written from the primary materials below. Links open at the original publisher.

County of San Bernardino

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