New crime reduction initiative launched to improve city centre safety
15/03/10
A new city centre crime-reduction initiative has been launched by Safer Aberdeen.
Working with licensed premises, Aberdeen City Council continues to tackle the alcohol-related issues in the city centre through Bar Watch 24/7.
The aim of the scheme is to share information with city centre pubs and bars on known serious and violent offenders to reduce street crime and disorder through prevention and early intervention techniques.
By providing Bar Watch members' staff and door stewards with radios and images of offenders, Safer Aberdeen aims to reduce the number of alcohol-related incidents in the city centre and to provide a safe and secure environment for individuals to work and socialise in.
Housing and Environment convener Councillor Aileen Malone said: "Safety is and must remain a priority in Aberdeen. Bar Watch 24/7 is another good example of the very hard work being done to make the city centre safer for everyone and a nicer place to be.
"Drink-related problems in Aberdeen city centre are caused by a minority and it is essential that they are not allowed to spoil things for everyone else. The type of early intervention and prevention techniques employed in Bar Watch 24/7 will go a long way to making sure that known trouble-makers are stopped before they start."
Jill Sandilands of Belhaven Breweries added: "All Belhaven outlets in Aberdeen city centre are all involved in the new Bar Watch Scheme. I feel it is vital to have a close working relationship with the city council in order to improve safety throughout. The scheme is designed to keep all pubs up to date on incidents and trouble makers to assist in reducing public nuisance.
"The Radio link scheme is excellent to aid communication between bars in order to identify those groups and individuals that have been deemed unsuitable for licensed premises.
"Generally it gives my management and staff teams an added sense of security, also our customers feel safer in our establishments which ultimately result in return visits."
Bar Watch 24/7 will be launched at the Old School House on Little Belmont Street. Councillor Martin Greig will attend the launch, along with Bar Watch 24/7 members, including representatives of Belhaven and Wetherspoons breweries and Grampian Police Chief Superintendent Adrian Watson. Aberdeen City Council's director of Housing and Environment Pete Leonard is also expected to attend.
The intention of the launch is to raise awareness of the scheme and community safety issues, particularly in terms of drunkenness.
Chief Superintendent Watson said: "Crime in the city centre continues to fall, but Grampian Police recognises we cannot achieve our goal of making Aberdeen as safe as possible without working with the business community, local authority and the licensed trade.
"This is a superb example of what can be achieved by working together and we commend our partners for their initiative and public-spiritedness in helping us to tackle the issues of violence and alcohol-related crime in Aberdeen."
Safer Aberdeen programme manager Cheryl Smith added: "I feel very strongly and passionately about this scheme and the benefit it can bring to our city centre.
"I believe it is important that the public is shown that the council is committed and eager to address their concerns about night time economy issues and highlight our continuing work with our partners to provide a safe city.
"Information-sharing is the key to this scheme, with members reporting incidents and viewing monthly bulletins of known serious and violent offenders."