'RAVE' BYLAW SPARKS HOT DEBATE

Hamilton's social and public health committee will probably have the support
of the rave community this week when it goes up against the police chief in
a battle to regulate all-night dance parties. The recent murder of Mohawk
student Salim Jabaji at a Toronto rave and the drug-related death of Allan
Ho at another Toronto rave in 1999 has prompted Hamilton officials to
organize a task group on all-night parties.

The committee will hold meetings tomorrow and Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m. to
discuss whether raves should be regulated.

Organizers say regulations would ensure adequate police security and
ambulance services and that any venue meets fire and building codes.

Chief Ken Robertson has said he will never support a bylaw governing raves
because he considers them all-night drug parties. He said regulations would
indicate that police approve of the parties.

But the editor of a Toronto electronic music culture magazine says raves
should be regulated the way they are in Europe: everyone works together to
make them "safe, fun and affordable." Some even have corporate sponsors.

Alex Dordevic, of Tribe Magazine, says Toronto was on the right track when
it opted to work with the Toronto Dance Safety Committee (Dordevic is a
member) to make raves safer. But he said police started trying to kill raves
by making them too expensive -- charging promoters for so many officers that
costs were unmanageable.

He said Robertson's comments show a lack of understanding of young adults.

"The chief's attitudes toward a group of people who listen to a particular
genre of music, this whole targeted policing mentality, does nothing to
foster communication and respect between the police and youth in Canada."

Dordevic says drugs are as prevalent in nightclubs, malls and schools as
they are at raves.

"Trust, cooperation and good information is how to make our vibrant
electronic music scene even safer," he said.

To Dordevic, the recent deaths are not an indication that raves are out of
control because the number of people dying is small in relation to the
number attending.

"Our estimates indicate that, in Toronto, about 45,000 people go out to
various raves and late nightclub venues to enjoy electronic music on a given
Saturday night."

He said Hamilton has a "huge" raver population, but that most go to Toronto
on Saturday nights for the bigger events.

If Hamilton has raves they would be "underground." One recent event was
cancelled and a second had to shut down at 3 a.m., a condition imposed by
police on the organizers.

The meetings this week will focus on the idea that banning raves doesn't
work because the events just move underground, and that all-night dances
should be regulated by bylaws like the ones that govern multi-day music
festivals and large concerts.

The task group is represented by groups such as police, legal services, fire
and ambulance services, and addictions and youth-oriented groups. It will
pose questions about age limits, locations and frequency of events, drug
information booths, security and emergency services, and alcohol rules.

If you would like to present an argument, you can book a time through
Lawrence Murphy at 905-546-3509. If you can't attend you can complete a
questionnaire at

http://www.health.hamilton-went.on.ca/lifestyle/SAPP/RaveBLFB.htm.

http://www.hullabaloo-raves.com/

http://www.darklightdesign.com/trs/index.html

http://www.tribe.ca