POLICE DOG UNITS TO TARGET RAVE PARTIES

VICTORIA Police will continue to use sniffer dogs in its bid to
combat "prolific" drug use at dance parties, after 35 people were
caught with drugs at the New Year's Day Summadayze festival.

Superintendent Mick Williams said most of the 23,000 people at the
Sidney Myer Music Bowl behaved very well, but he believed the
numbers caught with drugs would have been higher if police had used
more sniffer dogs outside the venue.

"Whilst we had about 30 police deployed to accompany the dogs, I'm
confident in saying that if we had 60 police there, we probably
would have double the number of arrests," he said.

Two people were taken to hospital for suspected drug overdoses,
Superintendent Williams said, with St John Ambulance officers
treating "many, many people who were suffering the effects of taking
these drugs".

Thirty-one people caught with drugs were given warnings or drug
counselling orders.

Another four people will be charged on summons with drug possession,
with two of them -- a 35-year-old man from Northcote and a
34-year-old man from Yarraville -- to also face drug trafficking charges.

One of the men was allegedly caught with ecstasy, amphetamines,
cocaine, ice and GHB, with enough supply for about 12 "deals" of each.

"He had five or six different drugs there that he was prepared to
sell to young people. Every one of those drugs (is) very, very
harmful," Superintendent Williams said.

Superintendent Williams praised Summadayze organisers for their
efforts to reduce drug use through strict security searches, and
said police were largely happy with the event.