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Coolguy

Man who reported marijuana farm upset by denial of reward
The Associated Press | The Seattle Times | 10/03/2005

YAKIMA — A man who said he and another bow hunter barely escaped with their lives after stumbling onto a marijuana farm is upset about being denied a reward after he reported his find.

"To have guys chasing you with firearms, I mean, we should get something out of this deal," the hunter, Mike Gambrell, told the Yakima Herald-Republic. "The people running this program, they just don't want to give up the money. It's a joke."

Washington State Patrol officials said the reward offer using a telephone hot line, 800-388-GROW, was designed in the 1980s to draw tips from pot smokers and others in the drug culture rather than discoveries by law-abiding citizens.

"This isn't for people who learn after the fact they could get money for this," Capt. Mark Couey said. "We're thankful (Gambrell) called 911, that he wasn't hurt — and that he did his civic duty."

Gambrell, 39, a state maintenance technician, said he and Duane McFarland of Puyallup were hunting mule deer Sept. 3 in a steep canyon near Satus Pass about 25 miles northeast of Goldendale.

Nearing the bottom of the canyon, Gambrell said he met a man wearing camouflage who threw his hands in the air, took cover near a tree and drew a chrome-plated semiautomatic pistol. Thinking the man was a poacher, Gambrell hustled to catch up with McFarland on the canyon floor.

"That's when I realized I was surrounded by marijuana plants," he said. "I mean, the whole bottom of that canyon was like a corn field full of pot plants."

About halfway out of the canyon, Gambrell said, he and McFarland saw four men coming after them with rifles. With a head start of about 300 yards, the pair made it to safety in the woods and used a walkie-talkie to alert a friend, who called 911 on his cellular telephone.

State troopers and Klickitat County sheriff's deputies seized 1,079 marijuana plants but found no one to arrest.

Gambrell said he later learned of the hot line offering up to $5,000 for tips leading to the seizure of marijuana but was denied any money.

Couey said Gambrell failed to meet the requirements listed on the patrol's Web site — that to receive a reward, a tipster must call the 800 number before alerting any other law enforcement agency and then call back within two weeks.

"He's trying to win the Lotto," Couey said. "I feel for him, but this program is designed specifically to entice people who would not otherwise normally come forward."

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troublemaker_42

I have mixed feelings on this. Of course, part of me is upset about such a program even existing, as it basically encourages snitching and encourages normal citizens to do the work for police officers. the other part of me thinks that they should get the reward. The way its explained, its basically meant for crminals turning in other criminals. I don't understand why they'd give out money to someone they suspect is a criminal, but won't give up the cash to a law-abding citizen. All in all, it pretty much sucks any way you look at it. At least this way, maybe people will think twice about calling the hotline, knowing that if they are the average citizen, theres nothing to be gained by it.

Dennis

Like a "come on" in advertising, it entices you to make the call with no real intent of delivering the "goods" advertised.

Buzzby

It doesn't say anything about the requirement to call the hotline first on the web page devoted to this program.

http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/hotline.htm

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iamskfan

The website says it takes information from concerned citizens, Wouldn't that guy be considered a concerned citizen? That is a bunch of crap. They are just trying to save themselves some money, probably b/c they didn't catch the growers!! Go Growers!

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freethemind

The LEO got you again they will never give up any money they lie and if you
are a crminal and you call in a tip as the LEO want you to do they will be
after you next. The war on marijuana is a joke and a money making deal for the pot cops. When will the people of this great land ever learn that the LEO is out for its self it all is about money make marijuana legal and tax it the states make money and the LEO can go and do something else like go after childmolsters that would be good at lets that would be something good for the kids.

unkn0wn

Yeah, It does...

Link: http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/hotline.htm#mep

Exerp: IMPORTANT:

* Please do not leave your name or information about yourself.
* Remember the 6 digit number you had left during the voice mail AND the date that you had called the hotline, and do not give the 6 digit number out to anyone.

The next time that you contact us, you can give us that number and the date that you had called, and we can give you the status regarding the report that you had made.

* After leaving the message, you must call within 2 weeks (during Reward Program business hours) and talk to a hotline representative to be eligible for the reward.

Tokamak

This just goes to show you, folks: don't help bust grow ops. There's nothing in it for you except a pat on the back by Officer Bob and the knowledge that you've made absolutely NO difference whatsoever in your community. Pot's $50 an 1/8th everwhere you go (at least the stuff I'd wanna smoke). Busting 10 plants or 10,000 or 100,000 isn't going to change the demand, supply, or price.
If you want to do some good, go bust a meth lab. It won't change anything either, but at least meth isn't a harmless plant.

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"He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know."
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