Police prepare for Listen Out music festival

Thousands of people are expected to flock to St Kilda tomorrow to enjoy the Listen Out music festival at the Catani Gardens.

Police will have a highly visible presence throughout the festival and surrounding areas to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.

Acting Inspector Ron Klajnblat said police would again be running a Passive Alert Detection (PAD) dog operation in an effort to reduce drug harm at the festival.

"Unfortunately, last year we saw 30 people arrested for drug offences as part of our PAD dog operation," A/Insp Klajnblat said.

"We know that most people attend the festival to enjoy the music and have a good time.

"However, there are still a small number of people who choose to partake in dangerous and illegal behaviour.

"We want to remind everyone that police will not tolerate any behaviour that spoils the festival for the majority of attendees.

"We ask everyone to keep an eye on their mates and make sure they are enjoying themselves in a safe and responsible manner.

"As always if you're going to drink, plan ahead, use public transport or nominate a designated driver.

"Drink and drug driving puts the entire community at risk and anyone engaging in this behaviour will be caught."

Local police will be supported by officers from the Operations Response Unit, Mounted Branch and Dog Squad.

Transit police and Protective Services Officers (PSOs) will be patrolling the public transport network to and from the venue.

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