News Article: January 18, 2009
Section: News
Outlet: The Province
Byline: Tonner, Mark
Title: Barwatch is making city's clubs safer
Date: 2009-18-01
VANCOUVER (CP) - I shouldn't be surprised when something I like manages to stay on the rails. Barwatch, a Vancouver alliance of nightclub owners, is standing strong in the face of local gangsters.
Strong enough to expel members from the BW club. Has anyone been to The Fabric in Gastown, lately? It's on Water Street, and it's no longer a member of Barwatch.
VPD checks were discovering gangsters, inside the club and up to no good. Weapons were found on patrons. One night, a UN gang member was arrested for fighting and flipping tables. Another night, some poor soul took a bottle to the face on the dance floor. Soon after, another UN member was checked in the club; a man said to be in line for leadership of the gang at the time.
Nightclubs like being able to display Barwatch stickers. It means the club is adhering to stringent safety standards. Patrons are checked for weapons with metal detectors. "Treoscope" data systems are used to scan ID cards and exclude badsters.
What happened at The Fabric isn't easily explained or excused. No one in the industry bothers saying, "We don't know who the bad guys are" any more. Their Barwatch peers -- the other nightclub owners and managers -- all know better.
When we've dealt with this in other clubs, the weapons hadn't appeared by magic. They'd got in when door staffers extended respect to gang people. Detector wands were turned off, to make a silent show of scanning, or wanding didn't occur at all.
It's fascinating to watch accountability grow this way in the entertainment industry. The Crush Champagne Lounge on Granville did not immediately warm to the BW movement. For a time, while the other Granville Street clubs were Barwatching, Vancouver's abusive and hostile gang crowd gathered at Crush.
Six months ago, Crush was granted full Barwatch status. The owner contacted BW people and chose to restructure her business, physically and philosophically. Now you can dance at Crush in relative safety.
The Barwatch sticker doesn't guarantee it, but it does stack the odds.
Even local strip clubs are adopting Barwatch protocols. The No. 5 Orange on Main Street has begun excluding gangsters, as has the Cecil on Granville. I'm told the gangs began trying to reassert at the Cecil last month, and were turned away.
That impresses. I'm watching developments at Plush nightclub, at the Plaza of Nations, with varying degrees of optimism. For the longest time, there were gangsters inside whenever we checked. VPD members entered in numbers, knowing to expect a volatile mix from conflicting crews.
Plush managers countered by insisting they wanted to turn it all around and join Barwatch. It seemed like mere talk, until just lately. The last few weeks have seen an improvement at Plush, though it takes time to qualify for Barwatch membership.
I won't close by hinting you're sure to be hurt in gang-friendly clubs. Most patrons leave most clubs unharmed, even on bad nights. Many enjoy the air of danger, the sense that something bizarre might happen.
Apparently, when it does happen, it's cool to say you were there. It makes a weird sort of sense, if your thinking is from the street, so long as you're not whispering it to paramedics, wondering if they're the last interesting people you'll ever meet.
Sgt. Mark Tonner is a Vancouver police officer, whose column appears biweekly in The Province. His opinions aren't necessarily those of the city's police department or board.
© Copyright (c) The Province