Pubdate: Tue, 12 Jun 2007
Source: Richmond News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007, Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.richmond-news.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1244
Author: Eve Edmonds
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raves.htm (Raves)

CITY TAKES AIM AT RAVES

Richmond should not be a haven for older guys trolling for young 
girls, said Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt, who supports a proposed 
bylaw to ban raves.

"The mix has changed. Before a rave was a place for young people to 
dance; now there are a lot of older men hanging out there, trolling 
for young girls and hitting on them," said the chair of the city's 
community safety committee. The committee will vote on the 
recommendation tonight.

Cpl. Scott Rintoul, an RCMP officer with "E" Division's drug 
awareness service, agrees the wider age range has "opened the door to 
sexual predators."

The issue of raves has raved on at city council since the late 1990s 
when the all-night dance parties became popular. The events were 
presumably alcohol-free, which made them open to underage revellers, 
but drugs, primarily ecstasy, have always been prevalent.

A few years ago, rave-goers turned to chemical cocktails, such as 
"trail mix," which contains a blend of uppers and downers, including 
ecstasy, MDA, methamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine and even Viagra.

All municipalities in the Lower Mainland, except for Richmond and 
Vancouver, banned the events.

"We didn't ban them initially because we felt they would only start 
going underground," said Halsey-Brandt. "The city decided it needed 
to control them. We wanted adequate security and an owner that would 
be accountable."

However, the popularity and nature of raves have changed over the years.

In 2001, 15 raves were held at sanctioned facilities in the city. 
Last year, that number dropped to five.

As well, the age range has widened and the drugs have become harder. 
In March 2006, a 42-year-old man overdosed and was found unconscious 
at a local rave party.

According to a report to the community safety committee, most people 
attending raves in Richmond hail from other locales: "At a recent 
rave, a random survey of 100 attendees revealed that only two were 
Richmond residents."

"These people are coming from Abbotsford, Chilliwack and who knows 
where," said Halsey-Brandt. "Let their own municipalities provide a 
venue for them."

Last year, Coun. Rob Howard called for a review of the city's bylaw 
regarding raves.

"If we are one of only two municipalities in the whole Lower Mainland 
that allows these, then we have to be concerned about becoming a 
catch-all," he said at the time.

Richmond RCMP spokesman Cpl. Peter Thiessen welcomes the ban.

"From our perspective, there is nothing positive that comes out of a 
rave," he said.

Raves have consumed a significant amount of police resources that 
could be betters spend elsewhere, he added.

As for specific crimes police have had to deal with, he said 
"underage drinking, assault, drugs, trafficking - take your pick from 
the Criminal Code."

While owners of the venue are expected to provide security for the 
event, because of the prevalence of drugs and gang members, police 
often have to mop up the mess.

Even the hosts of these events won't miss them. The owner of one 
facility legally sanctioned to hold raves has stopped booking them.

"The focus of our business has changed," said Bobby Ghirra, co-owner 
of Riverside Banquet Hall. In the late '90s, his hall was hosting up 
to 20 raves a year; now he does two or three. "It started as being a 
safe place for the youth."

However, he too noticed an older clientele. "There started to be a 
lot more 30- and 40-year-olds. That's not what this was supposed to 
be about. Those people can go to a nightclub in Vancouver."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom