Pubdate: Sun, 15 Feb 2015
Source: Herald Sun (Australia)
Copyright: 2015 Herald and Weekly Times
Contact: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/letter
Website: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/187
Author: Andrew Jefferson

POLICE VOW TO WIN WAR ON DRUGS

A VETERAN police inspector admits containing the drugs scourge in 
Richmond is an uphill battle, but one police remain determined to win.

Addicts have turned parts of Melbourne's biggest public housing 
estate into makeshift shooting galleries.

Inspector Bernie Edwards, due to finish a four-year spell as Yarra 
Police inspector in coming weeks, said the drug menace was an ongoing fight.

"People talk about adopting a zero-tolerance hardline approach, but 
that doesn't work," Insp Edwards said.

"You can't win by just putting people in jail. What you have to do is 
try and break that cycle of use."

Insp Edwards said a written protocol prevented police from taking a 
tough approach to addicts using the North Richmond Community Health 
Centre in Lennox St.

They go there to access clean needles, but many then shoot up heroin 
in nearby car parks, streets and laneways.

Insp Edwards admitted: "The centre's a bit of a no-go zone for 
police. Of course, if someone robs or stabs someone and runs inside, 
our people would go in and arrest them.

"It's all about preventing the spread of blood-borne viruses. I could 
put a circle of police around it tomorrow but that defeats the 
purpose of what it's there for."

He said police conducted regular operations in Richmond to detect 
illegal drug activity and associated crime, and admitted it was not 
ideal having people shooting up in streets and laneways.

"Would I want an injecting room next to my house? I wouldn't," he 
said. "Could you imagine one in the middle of Toorak? It wouldn't 
happen, they would scream the house down. Supervised injecting rooms 
breach the law, so any move to establish them will need to be 
government policy."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom