As Surfers Paradise gears up to host the annual Schoolies celebration and the 20,000 school leavers that come with it, police operations are ramping up on the Gold Coast.
“We’ll have at least 100 police specifically for schoolies as well as normal, safe night precinct,” Superintendent Scott Knowles said.
To crack down on knife crime, officers will conduct additional wanding within the party precinct.
“It’s about creating a safe and secure environment for the school leaves to actually celebrate the end of the year,” Knowles said.
For the first time ever at Schoolies, pill testing will be available, allowing teenagers to test any drug they have on them and safely dispose of them if they choose.
Police will not be targeting these areas.
“The intention is to allow those people who have a dangerous drug to get it tested,” Knowles said.
“If we start enforcing them there, then we’re potentially turning people away instead of saving their lives… (but) if somebody turns up with 200 pills, that’s a different kettle of fish.”
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
