POLICE FLOOD STREETS IN DRUG WAR

Police have launched a crackdown on drug use in the Melbourne CBD,
arresting 48 people for trafficking, possession and other drug-related
crime in the past 10 days.

The month-long operation, which began on May 2, involves an increased
presence of about 60 plainclothes and uniform police in the CBD.

Acting Inspector Ted Hart said the police operation was in response to
business and community concerns about the drug trade and the level of
drug-related crime in the area.

"We've unleashed a significant number of plainclothes police in the city
and for the last two weeks we're averaging four traffickers a day that
we've arrested," Inspector Hart said. "We're starting to see the benefits
of that, with reports of crime in the city starting to drop."

Inspector Hart said police had run up to four operations since last October
targeting the heroin trade in the city and crime figures had stabilised. On
average, about 30 cars are broken into in the CBD each day.

Inspector Hart said police were not targeting users, but were trying to
provide users with information about drug treatment programs.

"We think if we can help these people then they have to be accountable to
some extent and help themselves as well," he said.

Inspector Hart said there were about 150 drug users in the CBD and
shopkeepers were tired of stepping over syringes and people overdosing
outside their businesses.

The police operation would be assessed after a month, Inspector Hart said.
He said it was part of a "total strategy ... not just an isolated thing" to
combat drug crime in the city.

However, shop traders yesterday doubted the effectiveness of the operation.

One Bourke Street trader, who said three people had overdosed in front of
his store on Thursday, said: "It's a knee-jerk reaction to media reports
and then you don't see them (police) again. Why can't it be a recurring
presence?"

Melbourne City councillor David Risstrom yesterday said that police had
taken a mature approach and adopted "harm minimisation" to deal with the
drug problem.

"The harm minimisation approach means that we can get people into treatment
and we can look at some of the reasons for drug offending," Cr Risstrom said.

Premier Steve Bracks said the discovery of weapons and contraband hidden in
a ceiling at St Kilda Police Station on Wednesday was "disturbing" and
required investigation.

He said appropriate action would be taken once police investigations into
the discovery were completed.

"On face value it does not look good," Mr Bracks said, but added it was
drawing a "long bow" to suggest there was widespread corruption in Victoria
Police.