Eye in sky may target the high By CHARLIE GATES - The Press Last updated 05:00 17/04/2009
Cannabis "factories" could be exposed by an aircraft with an infra-red camera over Christchurch.
The Christchurch City Council plans to use the eye in the sky this winter to create a thermal map of the city and use the information to offer people with poorly insulated homes advice on energy efficiency.
Christchurch drug squad officers hope to use the map to look for hot houses one of the tell-tale signs that lamps are being used in an attic for cannabis cultivation.
"If the council made that available for us, it would be a useful tool for us to consider," acting head of the Christchurch drug squad, Detective Sergeant Earle Borrell, said.
Indoor cannabis cultivation was increasing, Borrell said.
"Growing cannabis under lights has become common because they can produce high-quality material in controlled circumstances, with the advantage of having more discreet cultivation," he said.
Infra-red cameras mounted on helicopters are used by British police to spot cannabis factories.
The West Yorkshire police spotted more than 250 cannabis factories in the first six months of last year using the specially equipped helicopters.
The thermal map is part of a plan to slash Christchurch's $1.6 billion annual energy bill and cut energy use by every city resident by 9 per cent.
The council plans to make the thermal map public as soon as it is created. No decision has been made on whether the map will be published on the internet.
The $240,000 initiative will be funded by the council's sale of carbon credits to British Gas for $4 million in 2006.
Council corporate services manager Paul Anderson said the council would co-operate with the police if they wanted to use the map.
"That is not the primary objective of the project. The primary objective of residential thermography is to identify poorly insulated properties and offer assistance to householders," he said.
"We would co-operate fully with police if they wanted to use the images we take. I am not sure whether the police would be able to use them, but we would be very happy to co-operate with them."
The thermal map is part of a 10-year, $6.6m council plan to cut projected growth in energy use in Christchurch from 19.9 per cent between 2008 and 2018 to 0.04 per cent.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2340767/Eye-in-sky-may-target-the-high