Metro Vancouver Transit Police has partnered with Barwatch to help keep downtown revellers safe at venues.
The Barwatch program allows participating establishments to share information on unruly patrons and ban people with serious criminal records.
As part of the partnership, Transit Police officers will be alerting Barwatch to passengers who have committed an offence and are causing problems for other riders.
Good Night Out Vancouver is relaunching its Granville Street Team. Starting this weekend the teams of four will be out Friday and Saturday nights starting at midnight. Photo courtesy DVBIA
Sergeant Clint Hampton, from Transit Police, told Vancouver is Awesome this course of action would only be used for serious offenders.
“It wouldn’t just be troublemakers in general,” he said.
“It would have to be something that is of risk to the public and it would have to be under very special circumstances, perhaps an assault or someone in possession of a weapon. Something of that nature, where that person has been or could be potentially charged.”
The offenders will be investigated and the information collected, which may include intelligence on their lifestyle or criminal associations, will be shared with Barwatch.
Barwatch, a self regulated association of licensed establishments, can then decide whether to ban the person from venues to avoid any future violence or problems.
Information will also be shared with the Vancouver Police Department, which has partnered with Barwatch since 2007.
Sgt. Hampton said the partnership is just another tool for officers to use in those very specific and rare circumstances.
“Fortunately the transit system is very safe,” he said.
“The vast majority of people go to and from anywhere they have to without any kind incident at all. But unfortunately once in a while these circumstances do occur."
https://twitter.com/SgtCHampton/status/1151200987232665600
More than 30 venues are part of the Barwatch program, most of them are around the Granville strip, Gastown and Yaletown.
Under the program, staff scan a person’s driver’s license before entry and if they are deemed an “undesirable” person or a “troublemaker” they’re refused entry.
People charged with serious criminal offences can be given lifetime bans.
Curtis Robinson, Barwatch Chair, said he's excited to be entering into this new partnership with Transit Police.
“We share a common interest, the safety of bar patrons, industry staff, transit users and our police officers,” he said
In 2018, Transit Police dealt with 38,347 incidents that warranted a police file.
Sgt. Hampton said a lot of the reports were for disorder offences, such as yelling, public intoxication, panhandling on transit property, following passengers through the fare gates or acting in an untoward manner.
