Watching their backs
Pubwatch is an inexpensive way of cutting crime. Michelle Perrett explains.
A typical Saturday night - a group of youths have had a few too many beers and start verbally abusing members of staff behind the bar. When they are then refused a drink all hell breaks loose.
Inevitably they get thrown out of the bar and onto the street where they decide to go to the next bar and cause more trouble.
One of the most effective ways of dealing with these sort of incidents is to join or start up a local Pubwatch scheme, the industry's equivalent of a Neighbourhood Watch. Licensees recognise the importance of these schemes in tackling drink-related crime. For example, 36 per cent of licensees in this year's Market Report are Pubwatch members. However, there is concern that some of the larger pub companies are not giving the initiative enough support. Pubwatch is a group of local licensees coming together to set acceptable standards of behaviour for people using their premises and to agree common policies on dealing with the problem minority.
Most involve a pager system or a telephone tree by which licensees inform other pubs that there are some potentially disruptive customers in the area.
Any customers that have been barred from one pub are effectively barred from all pubs that are in the scheme. Although there are no national figures available, in some areas, such as Blythe in Northumbria, setting up a scheme has led to this type of crime falling by as much as 50 per cent.
Malcolm Eidmans, honorary secretary of National Pubwatch, spoke out last month claiming that more pub companies and senior executives in the industry need to support the organisation.
"Some pubs companies are very supportive but we write to some who do not even bother to reply," he said.
"We don't cost anything and it's for the good of customers and employers."
While companies such as Unique Pub Company, JD Wetherspoon and Greene King encourage their licensees to get on board and set up their own local Pubwatch schemes, Mr Eidmans believes that more companies should be following their lead.
National Pubwatch, the umbrella organisation which supports existing local Pubwatches and encourages the creation of new schemes, nearly folded last year because of lack of funding. It was saved at the last minute because of financial contributions from JD Wetherspoon and the British Institute of Innkeeping.
The organisation receives limited funding from a number of trade related groups and some of its activities, such as its newsletter, are sponsored by trade bodies including The Portman Group and the British Beer & Pub Association.
The scheme has the support of over 40 members of Parliament including former home secretary Michael Howard.
While support among licensees and trade bodies has grown - it now produces 17,000 newsletters for members compared to the 1,000 it produced in 1997 - it seems that some pub companies still have a way to go.
As Mr Eidmans says: "Pubwatch needs everyone to be active and participating to keep it going."
Reducing crime and disorder
Pubwatch is running a conference for its members on how to reduce crime and disorder.
It is to be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2003, at the Old Court House in Clerkenwell, London, and will look at sharing good practice through a number of workshops. It will be sponsored by Budvar and Unique Pub Company. Prices for Pubwatch members is £25 and for non-Pubwatch members £75.
Contact Malcolm Eidmans, National Pubwatch, 17 Chace Avenue, Potters Bar, Herts EN6 5LX or email national.pubwatch@btinternet.com.
If you would like information on Pubwatch and how to set up a scheme contact www.uniquepubs.com/pubwatch.
