Police, security guards to patrol Victorian schoolies hot spots Mounted police patrol the streets of Lorne during schoolies week last year. SCHOOLIES "loading up" on alcohol before heading out will be in police sights this year. Police patrols will be increased around hotels, caravan parks and rented houses, and the local council at Cowes will employ security guards. The final VCE exam is on Wednesday, and from this weekend thousands of school-leavers are expected to begin arriving on the Surf Coast, the Mornington Peninsula and the Bass Coast. More will be heading to the Gold Coast, and overseas. Inspector Chris Large said schoolies "pre-loading" on alcohol before going out caused problems when, denied entry to pubs and clubs, they ended up wandering the streets. "We want to encourage them to go down and have a good time, but the message is about being safe, and respectful behaviour," he said. "We want to engage in a positive way with young people, and part of that is going around and being visible in the places where we know they are staying," Insp Large said. Schoolies are urged to register for free shuttle buses, bottled water, chill-out areas, and schoolies-only events. There will be barbecues, beach volleyball, and beach cricket. Drug and alcohol workers will walk Torquay and Lorne streets from 8pm-3.30am daily in a $30,000 harm-minimisation initiative. About 180 Red Frogs welfare volunteers will be at Torquay, Lorne, Rye, and Phillip Island. In Cowes, security guards will patrol the foreshore from 9am-3pm in the first week. Schoolies runs from November 29 to December 6. youthcentral.vic.gov.au/schoolies Originally published as Security beef-up at schoolies hot spots