POLICE MOVE ON HEROIN SHOOTING GALLERY

SYDNEY: Police made their first move yesterday against an illegal
heroin shooting gallery in Sydney's Kings Cross, gathering evidence
for possible prosecution of its organisers.

But police found no addicts using the Wayside Chapel's so-called
Tolerance Room, or T-Room, and left empty-handed after taking video
footage of unused tables and chairs. One addict ran out of the room
soon after police arrived, then injected herself outside the chapel,
just metres from assembled media.

Police interviewed the chapel's pastor, Reverend Ray Richmond, and
other T-Room volunteers, with Kings Cross Patrol Commander Bob Myatt
warning further action was being considered.

"We have gathered evidence, we'll be gathering more evidence and we'll
be analysing that evidence and we'll be taking any appropriate action
that we need to take," he said.

No-one was arrested and police did not tell organisers to close the
T-Room.

While police were anxious not to turn T-Room organisers into martyrs,
drugs campaigner Tony Trimmingham said their presence was harassment
and would not stop the controversial facility.

"Of course it's harassment. Their presence here is designed to turn
people away from the place," he said.

Police in the T-Room had been courteous and polite but they had
indicated they would visit it again tomorrow and whenever it
subsequently opened.

NSW Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile turned up outside the chapel and
said police had acted after complaints he had made to Commissioner
Peter Ryan and Commander Myatt yesterday morning.

Police have been under pressure to act all week and Reverend Nile said
the law would have become a joke had they ignored yesterday's activities.

"I'm glad the police have acted; they should have closed it down too,"
he said as T-Room supporters heckled him in the street.

Mr Richmond said some addicts had used the T-Room yesterday but many
had been discouraged by a large media pack gathered outside the chapel
in anticipation of a police raid.

He denied the T-Room was a publicity stunt designed to pressure the
Government ahead of a drug summit at state Parliament on May 17.

If the purpose was to win over politicians, it appears to have failed,
with Premier Bob Carr restating yesterday his zero-tolerance approach
to drugs. Mr Carr said addicts made a stupid, self-destructive
decision to take heroin and the emphasis should be on easing them off
drugs not maintaining their habit.

"I would have been much happier if the people at the Wayside Chapel
had expanded their rehabilitation services rather than opted for a
gesture designed to put pressure on the Government when it comes to
considerations that will take place at the drugs summit," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer also voiced his opposition to the
facility.

"I am yet to be convinced that the best way forward is not other than
through a zero tolerance approach," he said, adding that the family
unit was the best insurance society had against drugs, violence and
crime.