Vic police under threat from ice scourge

Police in a regional Victorian town say 80 per cent of people they deal with are affected by the drug ice.

The police association figure, which is an estimate by Morwell police officers, makes the town in the state's east one of the riskiest places to be a police officer in Victoria, Inspector Bruce McKenzie told ABC online.

"That's a staggering percentage to us at the police association.

"It is certainly higher than anywhere we have been in country Victoria and it's a real concern for our members," he said.

A police association survey found many police were spending their days dealing with ice affected people who were "violent, volatile and highly unpredictable".

The survey, completed last month, found only 52 per cent of police respondents felt they were equipped to deal with the current level of substance abuse seen in the community.

"Ice affected people are prepared more than anyone else to take on police" and are "aggressive and are devoid of pain", one officer said.