Police powers for pub security staff
Doorstaff could hand out police penalty notices for drunken disorder under a ground-breaking scheme in Essex.
Regency Security Services, which supplies doorstaff to major pub and club operators, is expected to be the first to deploy staff with "low-level" police powers.
Chiefly, this will let them issue fixed penalty notices for offences such as being drunk and disorderly and drinking in an alcohol-free area.
It comes under the Government's Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS), which allows local police to grant some low-level policing powers to certain agencies.
Regency business director Paul De Angelis said the firm received an "intense police vetting process" before being authorised by Essex Police.
Individual doormen now require a five-day training course plus extra police vetting before they have authority to use the new powers.
Accredited staff will carry an ID card featuring the CSAS accreditation and Essex Police logo. The extra powers will be stated on the back.
"In one to two months you will start to see accredited doormen on the streets," said De Angelis.
"We see it as a very pro-active scheme. Our doorstaff are on the frontline able to deal with lower-end police powers without the need to call police."
De Angelis said pub and club operators welcomed the move because it let doorstaff tackle disorder just outside their venues.
However, Essex Police Federation chairman Tony Rayner labelled it a "gimmick" and predicted "conflict" with people who won't believe the doorstaff have such powers.
Andrew Nicholls, security and licensing manager at Mitchells & Butlers, which has worked with Regency for 10 years, welcomed the new powers.
"Door supervisors have always worked closely with police and the new scheme will not only give enhanced training to the door supervisors, but will also deter anti-social behaviour in public places," he said.
"The scheme is an excellent example of partnership working between the licensed trade and the police and we look forward to seeing how the scheme develops."
An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "Essex Police welcomes this collaboration [with Regency], and the extension of the scheme to door supervisors.
"The activities of CSAS-accredited persons are complementary to those of Essex Police, and enable an even more effective service to be provided."
