BEND, OR -- The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team is staying busy. Sgt. Kent van der Kamp tells KBND News the number of illegal marijuana grows in the region is increasing and detectives rely heavily on tips from the public, "Be a good neighbor; tell us if something’s not right. If you’re noticing water issues, smells, different odors of chemicals used in pesticides. You’ll notice that the lifestyle of a property changes once there’s a grow in process."

Sgt. van der Kamp says Mexican drug cartels are working here, renting rural properties where they can hide a new operation. And, he says property owners need to be alert, "Be careful who you lease your property to. Nobody’s going to come to your house at 6 in the morning with a briefcase full of cash and have legitimate purposes for your land. That’s how, often, this happens. Or, if you think that somebody’s moved on to your property or on to your neighbor's property and it’s suspicious, please call. Because it’s generally how these are happening. Be aware of odor, smells, traffic." 

But, he tells KBND News enforcement is only part of the solution to these operations that steal water from neighbors and can put lives in danger, "We have such a complex marijuana law system here that a lot of the regulatory agencies like Department of Agriculture, Oregon Health Authority and OLCC, who all regulate different pieces of the cannabis program, honestly need to come together and pass some laws that make some sense to, not only law enforcement but the courts and the end-user, or the licensee. Because, that’s honestly the hard thing; the laws are so confusing."

To listen to our full conversation with CODE Sgt. Kent van der Kamp, visit our Podcast page.