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How to Keep From Getting Busted Growing

opt1c

Well-known member
Veteran
Here is a thread i wrote up awhile ago...
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=2473464#post2473464
so i was writing a reply to a post in another thread and it sorta morphed into what i've learned over the years in regards to growing indoors and outdoors in the various suburbs of california.. these are just my opinions and thoughts.. in no way am i trying to say there is right way or a wrong way for maintaining security at a grow spot; it's just what i've learned from experience... perhaps as a thread this information will be more helpful and accessible to others; comments and criticism are welcome as always; i'm not a private security contractor or anything like that so i don't claim to be an expert; i've just been in the game for a minute and i've managed to stay out of trouble better than others in the periphery around me

this advice is geared more towards the areas in california where you have a yard and garage, attached or detached, and lots of neighbors around you as opposed to an apartment complex or out in the woods

so for starters don't steal electricity

metal security door; people in another thread were talking about bracing bars but i like the added bonuses metal security doors have, also if they go though one of em a 2x4 is not going to stop them... there was a fun show like dallas swat or something where all they did was raid trap houses; now if u want to fortify your pad like a bunker in bagdad you'll find all the inspiration and blueprints there... i've seen walls made of concrete behind doors with a 6x6 dead drop in between.. but back to normalcy, if you're entry is setup right, lighting and whatnot, the security door can give you the added bonus of allowing you to see out while preventing anyone else from seeing in; very nice when strangers come a knocking; i just let my dog bang against the door while i talk to em if i don't want em coming back

big dogs; i like rotts because people don't want to find out if they're nice or not.. also walking dogs around the neighborhood looks normal; i just leave one at home or go around the block a couple times if security is an issue staying close; give them the run of your place too; they aren't going to protect anything inside your house if they're penned up in the backyard.. adopt an adult one; large black adult dogs are often the last to be adopted too so you're doing a good deed in the process and you'll have a really good idea of the dogs temperament... if you can't have a dog move somewhere where you can; if you're a lone grower the quality of your life will improve greatly with the added companionship of a dog.. if that's not an issue i've found a good camera setup to a computer with motion detection software that sends screen caps of whatever is creating motion to a server on the internet so if you do get robbed you'll know who did it as much as possible even if they take everything

be a good gardner; have a nicely maintained yard, best on the block if possible, pyracantha are the best i've found, fire thorn; i have some growing all around my window ac; they love the microclimate and runoff water and nobody touches that shit; meaner than my rotts for sure and stays green year round, i've had thorns go through leather gloves before on me just trying to move a branch

odor control; if you're growing indoors and you want to keep it on the dl don't throw a plant in your backyard... you can never have too large a carbon filter; when odor becomes an issue i have one with an 8" ho canfan that runs 24/7... no more issues.. if you're growing in your backyard assume everyone knows; despite your best efforts to hide it visibly you can't do anything about the odor so take precautions accordingly

be a good neighbor; have your neighbors keep an eye on your place when you're gone visiting your sick mother or something like that; bbq and cook; fill the neighborhood with good smells everybody likes

i don't like alarms; i've heard of too many grows being busted because of alarms; who's to say the cops who came and saw your legal grow aren't going to trade your addy to some bangers when they're looking to solve a murder to make the masses happy? what's to say that whoever responds to your alarm thinks your wiring poses a fire hazard? what are you going to do then?

trust only your dogs

be creative with your stash; don't put all your eggs in one basket if possible.. a car with a nice pager alarm makes a good safe and people going after your house often overlook its trunk

have a plan; if it's 3am the dogs are going crazy and you hear your door/window being kicked in. know what you're going to do. don't be caught unprepared.

be aware of your surroundings; never let a pair of headlights follow you home

guns are a personal choice; i tend to find that people who have guns in their homes have more incidents in their lives involving guns than those who don't... also even if you're med compliant on the state level if the feds come after you and you have a gun you're really up the creek

i've had spot before where there was more $$ in the backyard than in the house despite the computer and tv and whatnot; i left my backdoor open 24/7 had some rotts and never once felt uncomfortable leaving my place or paranoid that it would be jacked when i came back.. i remember an old military saying; though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death i shall fear no evil for i am the meanest mf'r in the valley; if you can stay humble with that mindset you should be fine

even if you're not growing the above should be fine advice on how prevent yourself from becoming a victim... in this economy i don't trust anyone

just my :2cents:
opt1c :joint:

fwiw i'm still kickin :joint:
 
G

grasspass

It seems like most people are conditioned to not notice fan noise but smell will not be ignored.
 
know your grow equipment and its other possible uses when buying in person. for example a few weeks ago when i was looking for a mh bulb and socket the guy at the lighting store started askin questions and i just told him some kid shot the light outside my garage with a bbgun. i also keep several houseplants year round and a small veg garden in the summer so a few pots or a bag of potting soil doesnt look so out of place. another thing id like to add is act normal around others. if ur neighbor waves at u and u run inside like u got a batch of meth to cook up chances are ur neighbor will pick up on the paranoia.no tell no smell no sell all is well
 

dub 6

Member
no one mentioned an evacuation plan... adjacent to my grow i have 7 heavy duty blenders half filled with water. in minutes i could puree all plants and mix that into my soil bin or pour down the drain. fuck the root balls... who's to say i wasnt growing roses ???
 

HOVAH2.0

Well-known member
Veteran
what if local enforcement is suspiscous of you? what to do about light bill, rental agreement in your name? what if you cant trust anyone to grow at their house? Do i just say Fuckem and grow anyway, and just hope they dont coming knockin?
 

HOVAH2.0

Well-known member
Veteran
TY Lord doobie, I was thinkin the same but the logistics of moving to Colorado is very big.... im on the east coast

I got 14, 2.5 month old mothers, 20 clones.. superlemonhaze and sensi-star. I dont want to drive with that much sh:t on me.... its 24hour drive i think, is it too risky? or should i just flower what i have and take the rest to colorado later in the year..
climate here is alot better here, longer and hotter summer..
 
Cell Phones: No way, no shape, no how. Commerical growers shouldn't even take these to the location. Have an iphone?Take a picture with it and download an EXIF data reader for your image, see that nice shiny GPS coordinate? Other phones do this also. In fact a safe rule of thumb is do not ever discuss ever anything via text, pictures, internet, or even voice on your phone. Voice is the safest but can be tapped as we know, but your cell phone internet usage, text messages, are all kept for a long time and the government DOES NOT NEED WARRANTS TO ACCESS IT. All they have to do is ask nicely. CORPORATIONS ARE ALLOWED TO *OWN* INFO ON YOU. If they cooperate, you don't have the same protection as landlines used to. If you think this sounds like conspiracy theory BS look up what was recently disclosed with Sprint, ATT, and Verizon. Same shit has come out for service providers like google and yahoo. They get paid to disclose this info people.

Internet Pictures: Blur faces, blur fingerprints. Facial detection is real, it works, and is in use. See those cameras on the intersections? It's coming. Look at the UK for blueprints.... I don't like uploading pictures in general, not trying to make myself a target. In fact to add on to what i said earlier about EXIF data, just strip it entirely. This things hold your camera serial numbers/models/etc/etc. Large growers should seriously take this in to consideration.

Counter intelligence: If you can't be helped but to be spotted every now and then with the occasional grow equipment like potting soil and such, be sure to grow some ACTUAL plants. Get a nice sized pot and a cheap $8 plant and put it in the sun and max visibility every now and again. This can be said for everything you buy and do. Use a car not registered to your grow location or house, when driving to the location be sure to drive elsewhere first to make sure you're not being tailed. Could really go on and on here. If friends are suspicious of your grow, throw them off. Buy a crappy bag to have around them, just don't be super obvious about it. And don't be like yeah yeah okay i grow.

Contingency Plan: Things don't feel right? Something been nagging at you besides just regular stoner paranoia? I say Instinct first. Every time I've been fucked in life, it was for not listening to it. The course of action depends on what you know/think might be going on and what you're doing, but definitely have a plan ready for incarceration and close-encounters: what to say/do if the cops are knocking at the door, wanting to come in, or worse: already in.
 

j6p

Member
the logistics of moving to Colorado is very big.... im on the east coast

I got 14, 2.5 month old mothers, 20 clones.. superlemonhaze and sensi-star. I dont want to drive with that much sh:t on me.... its 24hour drive i think, is it too risky? or should i just flower what i have and take the rest to colorado later in the year..
Backing up your genetics to seeds for transport would be far safer than moving plants, especially over such a long distance. Driving through unfamiliar territory - accidents, breakdowns, being pulled over, etc, not worth the risk of felony arrest for plants. Making seeds is easy; use CS to make all-female seeds. I would rather be stopped with a few dozen seeds than with plants, especially in the middle of nowhere.
 
R

Red Swan

I think it's been mentioned and it may sound classist. Don't hang out with low class, redneck or ghetto people if you grow. Those kind of people cultivate trouble for themselves and it may rub off on you.

I know of a few busts lately. Turns out one was partners with a drunken red neck idiot who got drunk ,started a fight, cops followed him home and he had forgotten to turn on the ozone to cover up that days harvest. Cops smelled it 20 feet from the front door. Associating with morons got him busted.

Another grower I know of also got busted, he also hung out with serious white trash rednecks , one who was a meth dealer and the other a coke dealer. They got busted and then he got busted. Association with morons.

A well known grower who was a great contributor to this site had a meth head/ trailer trash family member stay over. Cousin got arrested and ratted them out.

Do not associate with people who have avoidable problems like drunks, meth heads , burn outs and trailer trash type people. Even if you don't grow, these kind of people leave a wake and will impact your life with their stupidity.

You read people post these stories and you think, really, your junkie cousin robbed you and you are surprised?
 

B. Friendly

"IBIUBU" Sayeith the Dude
Veteran
even if you trust someone with your life, i would only tell them if i had to. And if I had to I would lie and minimize it's size. Just a couple personal plants that's all man, you know for me and the miss's
 
I

IE2KS_KUSH

Cell Phones: No way, no shape, no how. Commerical growers shouldn't even take these to the location. Have an iphone?Take a picture with it and download an EXIF data reader for your image, see that nice shiny GPS coordinate? Other phones do this also. In fact a safe rule of thumb is do not ever discuss ever anything via text, pictures, internet, or even voice on your phone. Voice is the safest but can be tapped as we know, but your cell phone internet usage, text messages, are all kept for a long time and the government DOES NOT NEED WARRANTS TO ACCESS IT. All they have to do is ask nicely. CORPORATIONS ARE ALLOWED TO *OWN* INFO ON YOU. If they cooperate, you don't have the same protection as landlines used to. If you think this sounds like conspiracy theory BS look up what was recently disclosed with Sprint, ATT, and Verizon. Same shit has come out for service providers like google and yahoo. They get paid to disclose this info people.


I dunno about the rest of your post, but that^ is not correct. At least as it pertains to a certain company that you mentioned, I know for a fact, when it comes to what the companies stated policy is w/ regard to any law enforcement inquirey. The company that I work for, will not just give confidential cust information to any LEO if they "just ask". They have to go a specific department, and then they must produce an order from a judge, or subpeana, or whatever...I haven't committed the policy ver batum to heart, but what you stated is not correct. It sounds like what you are trying to say, is that the "potential" exists for that, but in reality, at least for one of those companies, that is not the case and that is not what happens.
2cents..:hide:
 
Policy is for the little guys my friend. The point was it's not REQUIRED by law if the operator cooperates. Hence why i say commercial growers. Edit: I know they can get tower pings at the very least without it. The rest may actually still be protected but it's sketchy at best.
 

hkush

Member
I can tell you this, if you are going to transport, make damn sure you are up to date and legal on everything. I live near a highway that uses automatic plate readers, and any vehicle that is flagged in the system gets pulled over.

I know someone who has a DUI, and suspension, so he loaned his car to someone. That someone is constantly getting pulled over because the registered owner is suspended.

It'll soon be like the UK. Where the cops know everywhere your car has been for the past 6 months with one keystroke.
 

MeanBean

Member
I don't even have a landline in my house. They can never say someone called 911 from my house.


Very good point! alot of us don't even have land lines!! I have a voip but it says right on it not for 911 or emergency use.

That post scared me for a second tell i saw yours!
 

MeanBean

Member
Great Thread all. We have 10 rules that we live by, most have already been said;

5. After posting tester/grow photo's, I delete them off my computer instantly(I don't know how effective this is, but it gives me a little peace of mind).I use TU '09- nasa deletion or some crap like that it's called. Lets you choose deletion repititions and deletion security levels.


In 99.9 percent of cases your pc is the reason they cops find computerized info. They just take your pc and have some doush bag skim through it, find your passwords then go on your emails and forums’ form there. Hell there’s pc programs that as soon as you install them all the picas on the pc are found!! I was like whoa where'd you find some porn!

I never heard of them finding something illegal online and tracing backwards buttt a proxy server could eliminate that small threat. you can be a memeber for like 5 bucks a month.

I would suggest keeping all your files on a security Thumb drive or usb flash stick.

They got a password on them as well as all the files are uniquely encrypted.. plus you can bust it real quick if u got to.
 

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