VICTORIA Police officers raised concerns about a safe heroin injecting room in North Richmond several months before it opened in July.

Documents tabled in state parliament show that in an information session, police questioned their roles in the streets around the Lennox St centre.

The medically supervised injecting room at North Richmond Community Health opened on June 30.

Police asked if they could charge users with possession while on their way to the centre, and also questioned whether extra police would be needed to crack down on dealers.

A summary report of the session, held last November, showed some officers were against the injecting room.

“Mixed view. Some members believe it interferes with their role in policing crime,” the report said.

The document, prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services, did not publish any responses to police.

The state government approved the centre in response to an increasing number of heroin-related deaths, mainly in public places in the streets off Victoria St.

Victoria Police had consistently opposed the safe injecting room until late last year, when the force had a change of heart that gave Premier Daniel Andrews some political cover to introduce the trial. In July, the Legislative Council ordered the government to release all documents relating to the injecting room trial.

Attorney-General Martin Pakula authorised about 60 files be released this week, although another 101 were kept secret and many more were not identified in time to be tabled in parliament.

Other documents released reveal Richmond West Primary School approached the Department of Education in May amid concerns of security issues linked to the needle exchange program next door.

A security assessment report by the Education Department proposed security upgrades at the Lennox St school to address concerns such as public access and the safety of staff and students during after-school programs.

“Drug taking, overdoses, and even deaths … are all quite visible to students due to clear sightlines through much of the northern and northeastern perimeter,” the report stated.

The installation of 11 CCTV cameras, sight barriers and additional lighting around the campus and carpark were among the recommended upgrades that were approved by the department. The upgrades were scheduled to be completed by the start of the term 3 in July this year.