POLICE SAY RAVES CAN'T BE STOPPED

Laws Called Too Weak To Halt Huge Parties

Weak bylaws rendered Toronto police virtually powerless to tone down a
weekend party attended by about 15,000 people, despite reports of rampant
drug trafficking, a police spokesperson says.

And until communities thrash out ways of putting public safety before
profit at similar gatherings, ``the potential for disaster is just
astronomical,'' said Inspector Randal Munroe.

Responding to criticism by local politicians that police had ignored noise
complaints from area residents over the rave at The Docks complex at Polson
and Cherry Sts., Munroe said officers did as much as they could, legally
and safely.

During the 12-hour rave, officers ``tried to get the sound turned down and
monitor the complaints,'' Munroe said. ``We didn't ignore it. What we tried
to do is manage it.''

According to councillors Tom Jakobek and Sandra Bussin, who both represent
East Toronto, many enraged people who phoned their homes in the middle of
the night said the police claimed they couldn't intervene because the event
had been granted a city permit.

However, Harold Bratten, acting executive director of municipal licensing
and standards, said that ``no permit was applied for or granted'' to party
organizers. Consequently, neither councillors nor noise control officials
were given advance notice of the event.

But Munroe said that the establishment had no need of a special permit
because the business permit already granted by the city was sufficient.

``The Docks is sitting on city-owned land. They have a lease from the city,
they have a business permit and they have a liquor licence,'' he told The
Star.

Under the terms of its business permit, the establishment can have a sound
system out on its patio, he said.

Consequently, the issue of whether sound levels are excessive should be
decided by city noise abatement officials, who were in fact contacted by
police, Munroe noted.

According to more than 20 off-duty officers who were paid by party
organizers to keep order, drug trafficking was ``absolutely rampant''
inside the four huge tents set up at the foot of Polson St. on the
waterfront, and six arrests were made, Munroe said.

And while there were ``probably hundreds of (drug) dealers'' in the crowd,
he said, the fact that no liquor was being served meant that police were
limited in their ability to lay charges against management.

``They purposely don't serve liquor so it won't affect their liquor licence
and hence their operating licence,'' he said.

The party, organized by Dose and Syrous Productions, was to be held at the
Toronto Congress Centre on Dixon Rd., but was moved to the outdoor location
because of ``overwhelming demand,'' according to the party's information line.

The promoters could not be immediately reached for comment last night.

No charges were laid at the party, but Bratten said the city is launching
an investigation that may result in charges under noise bylaws.

He admitted that the penalty for infractions - $200 to $500 for a first
offence - would likely be seen more as ``the cost of doing business.''

However, with at least 15,000 people in attendance, ``it's inappropriate to
suggest that the police can just walk in there and pull the plug,'' he said.

Over the past couple of months, three people have died at raves and more
deaths will occur unless the community puts social consequences before
profit, Munroe said.

``If we're going to have situations where the drugs are so rampant and the
numbers so great that (raves) become virtually impossible to police, then I
think we've got to go to the front end of the process,'' he said.

``We have to look at the way we conduct city business permits and bylaws.''