COUNCIL SHOULD LIFT BAN ON LEGAL RAVES

City council's decision in May to ban raves in city-owned facilities did
nothing to protect the welfare of the young people who attend these events.

Now it's time for a policy that does.

Politicians have a chance to rethink their ill-considered stand starting
tomorrow with a special meeting of the community services committee, which
will hammer out a new policy for these all-night parties.

There's certainly no shortage of good advice.

Councillors should start with the recommendations of an inquest jury that
probed the drug-induced death of 21-year-old Allen Ho at a rave last
October.

The jurors pointedly said that city-owned properties should be available for
raves.

They said venues chosen for raves should meet local fire and building codes.
The events should be licensed and organizers required to follow a protocol
ensuring the dancers' safety.

The police want changes, too. Raves should be well-policed using paid
off-duty officers, according to Chief Julian Fantino. He wants rave
promoters held accountable for the safety of their events.

"I have not set out to ban raves. I want to make sure we have the proper
checks and balances to make sure they're safe," Fantino told The Star's
editorial board.

The crowds who pack raves should be kept to a manageable size. Entrance
should be restricted to those 16 and over.

There's no question that drugs are a problem at these events. This was a big
factor in the city's decision to ban them.

Despite this the raves continue, some in unsafe places like the hot, crowded
parking lot where Ho collapsed. The drug use no doubt continues as well.

It's far preferable to have these dances in a safe location where emergency
personnel are on standby for medical problems and where a bolstered police
presence can keep an eye out for drug use.

City councillors can't vote raves out of existence. But they can vote to
make them safer.