Door staff improve image in Norwich

[Dave]

http://www.edp24.co.uk/

Door staff improve image in Norwich

Recent attacks - including high profile killings - have thrown Norwich's notorious Prince of Wales Road back under the spotlight, emphasising the need for police and licensees to work together. Crime correspondent BEN KENDALL talks to one security firm about attempts to re-invent the doorman and improve safety.

It was once dubbed Norfolk's most dangerous street and, despite improvements in recent years, Prince of Wales Road continues to blight the county's main nightclub district.

Gauging whether or not the Norwich street has indeed returned to the bad old days is difficult - but such comparisons become meaningless when you begin talking about lives being lost.

There is one, now unforgettable weekend in June, which sums up the dangers which still haunt this corner of the city.

Only last month 46-year-old Philip Ward, from Drayton, died outside the street's Chicago Rock Café. Steven Hopkins, a 28-year-old doorman is currently facing manslaughter charges over the incident.

On the same weekend a 22-year-old was left fighting for his life - thankfully he survived - following an assault at Mercy night club just yards down the road. Later that weekend a 20-year-old woman was knocked unconscious in an assault.

All of this followed an incident in March in which 30-year-old father-of-two Timothy Moore, from Norwich, died following a fight outside the Sing Sing club. Daniel Gooda, 26, of the Household Cavalry, is awaiting trial for manslaughter.

Add to this list Frank McGarahan, the wealthy killed in a fight in the city in October last year (albeit in a separate part of the city), and it paints a depressing picture of Norwich's night-time economy.

Each time an incident is reported the police, correctly, send out a message to reassure the public that our streets are safe - but, with up to 15,000 youngsters flooding to the city each weekend, such reports would worry any parent.

One group trying to do its bit to improve safety is the city's doormen and women - a group who are desperate to shake the stereotype of the over-zealous bouncers of old.

Steve Barber, who runs Norwich Security Specialists, employs staff at 30 venues in the city including the Qube and Media nightclubs in the Prince of Wales Road area.

He said: “We are fed up of the word bouncer - it doesn't sum up what we stand for nowadays.

“We don't use that anymore and we want the public to see us as door-staff who welcome them and make sure they have a good night.

“I'll openly admit that 30 years ago we caused a lot of the confrontations or at least made them worse - I was one of those who was always happy to get into a fight.

“But everything's changed beyond all recognition. Nowadays we're here to help people have a good night and, although there will still be a few bad apples, 95pc of us are responsible.”

For the last five years all door-staff have needed to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority. This process involves criminal record checks, first aid qualifications and training in conflict resolution.

“When licensing came in, the industry changed over night,” Mr Barber said. “Before that there were plenty of people in the industry who wanted to cause trouble but they've disappeared now.

“We see it as our role to help to police and to prevent trouble by making sure there is a good atmosphere.”

The police for their part have recognised this change and now work closely with security firms. Some are even now accredited to carry out some police functions - something which has provoked controversy in some quarters.

A taxi marshalling scheme, overseen by the firms Norwich Security Specialists, Eventguard and First Line Events, has been set up to make sure taxi-ranks are trouble-free, allowing revellers to make it home safely.

Such a scheme was not in operation at the Guildhall taxi rank where Mr McGarahan was killed by brothers Tom and Ben Cowles, who have since been convicted of manslaughter.

Mr Barber said: “I believe that if there had been a taxi marshalling scheme in that area, that death would never have happened. The trouble that led to that death just wouldn't have happened.”

Such positive moves within the industry have brought difficulties. Although most door-staff welcome the regulation, they are now restricted in how they can deal with violence.

Mr Barber added: “We don't want to go back to the old days, everything that has happened is good. We are now constantly being watched by cameras and couldn't get away with what we used to do, even if we wanted to.

“When somebody kicks off with you now, which they inevitably will over the course of a busy night, you can use reasonable minimal force. There is always a doubt in your mind about what and what isn't acceptable.

“It will be interesting to see what happens in the Steven Hopkins case. None of us know what happened, depending on the verdict, it could have implications for all of us.”

One story which illustrates the changing culture in security firms, is a recent incident involving a 17-year-old girl in the Tombland area.

“She was wondering around drunk and out-of-control,” Mr Barber said. “She didn't know where she was or what she was doing.

“We sat her down and helped calm her. Then we called the police and the SOS bus to make sure she got home safely. Without us being there, I dread to think what would have happened.”

It is clear that, if Prince of Wales Road and Norwich's wider night-time economy is to restore a respectable image, door-staff will play a key role in that. The security firms themselves realise that and are determined to take a responsible attitude.

Mr Barber said: “One area my staff operate in is Queen Street. The police hardly send any officers there because they know it's safe. I take that as an enormous complement.

“The firms operating in the area are unrecognisable from what they used to be and we want the public to recognise that.

“If they can see that we are here to help, that can remove the intimidating stereotype associated with us which in itself can reduce conflict.”

[Kieran]

Couple of things struck me after I finished reading this...

1) When did First Aid training become part of the SIA training? It certainly wasn't on the course when I did it.

2) Reasonable minimal force? Why make that statement when it's just plain wrong, AND will cause hassle for doorstaff everywhere?

3) Why on EARTH would you say things like:

“I'll openly admit that 30 years ago we caused a lot of the confrontations or at least made them worse - I was one of those who was always happy to get into a fight."

And:

“We don't want to go back to the old days, everything that has happened is good. We are now constantly being watched by cameras and couldn't get away with what we used to do, even if we wanted to.

- talk about making a rod for your own back.

And finally -

4)

“If they can see that we are here to help, that can remove the intimidating stereotype associated with us which in itself can reduce conflict.”

This just simply isn't logical. The loss of the stereotypical intimidating image has, in my opinion, been a significant factor in the sharp INCREASE in conflict since the inception of the licensing regime.

In short, the journo who wrote this must have been rubbing his hands with glee at what I consider to be highly inadvisable comments made by the Mr Barber quoted in the article.

[gordon.simmons]

As a trainer for D.S.T.O. ltd. I travel all over the country where I meet, work and train with Door supervisors everywhere and having trained in Norwich for a week in June this year I would like to say I was very impressed with the Door supervisors particularly in the Prince of Wales Road area. I would also commend all the companies providing Door supervisors and other key partners in the sector for their proactive responses to the recent problems. I think that the city will come out the other side a model for others to learn from. I think the city’s Licensees need to get together and share good practice; they need to be in contact with each other if only during week end performances. If there is a pub watch scheme in place then I apologise but I did not see it in use. I love the S.O.S. bus excellent. My views are personal and do not in anyway represent views held by my employer D.S.T.O. Gordon Simmons FBii.tp