Date: 31st October 2007
Source: New York Daily News
Bouncer killed for closing a Bronx bar
A city worker and father of two moonlighting as a bouncer at a Bronx bar was shot and killed while turning away a group of wanna-be patrons Sunday at closing time, cops said.
Raymond Barnett, 38, was one of about six people at The Bronx Cocktail at 5 a.m. when four men tried to enter, police and witnesses said.
"I said, 'We're closing,'" said the bar's 48-year-old owner, Bill Booth. "'It's last call. You've got to leave.'"
At least one of the men became angry and fired shots into the sports bar at 3229 Westchester Ave. in Pelham Bay, striking and killing Barnett, police said.
Barnett, a life-long resident of Co-op City, was shot once in the torso and once in the neck, cops said. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 5:23 a.m.
"He was a gentle giant, a good person," said Jeff McGee, 38, who described his friend as standing about 6-feet-5. "Everyone in Co-op City is sad today."
Edyie Barnett, 29, said her husband worked the night job to supplement his salary from the city Department of Design and Construction, "just to get extra money with the bills we have."
"I want the man who shot my husband to rot in jail - to burn," she said. "They took away a hardworking man, a father. They took away a good person."
The couple has two daughters, Elvira, 10, and Shaharah, 8.
"Those are daddy's girls right there," she said. "They're hurting, that's all, they're hurting."
She said she saw her husband a few hours before the shooting and told him, "'Don't worry. You'll be home soon.'"
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Date: 26th October 2007
Source: Capital Xtra
Get in line! (Tough chicks at the door)
Breaking up fights, escorting the oh-so-drunk down seemingly endless stairs, refusing bribes and generally keeping a watch over partiers. All in a day's (actually, night's) work for Tina Learning and Heather Rutherford, bouncers who help to keep the Ottawa gay party scene safe and sound.
Rutherford works at Ottawa gay bar the Lookout, and has for the past four years. She started by working the balcony; she now "mans" the front door and trains Lookout staff to do the same.
Learning has been bouncing for three years, including gay night (Hump Wednesdays) at Helsinki, Surface afterhours club, and a number of the York Entertainment straight establishments. Rutherford and Learning are a minority in the Ottawa bouncing scene.
"Ottawa definitely has a shortage of women bouncers," says Learning. Both women were hard pressed to name any other female bouncers currently working in Ottawa.
Rutherford explained that when a male bouncer senses trouble, the situation is likely to more quickly become physical.
Not so with women, Rutherford says with a smile. "If someone's causing trouble and needs to leave, I convince them to come outside to talk about it, then shut the door. I always try to diffuse it without a physical altercation."
Learning also uses words as a weapon. She compared her bouncing strategy to that of the 1989 Patrick Swayze movie Road House, where a tough bouncer is hired to tame a dirty bar. Swayze's mantra — fighting is the last resort.
"It's a bit like babysitting," she says. But with a different kind of bottle involved.
With almost every shift, it is necessary to reject a few very inebriated would-be patrons at the door, but their mastery of words does not diminish the fact that these chicks are tough. When asked whether they'd had to deal with many with fights, both women began to laugh.
"I wouldn't know which one to start with!" says Learning. So she started with her first one.
It happened a few years ago on her second shift bouncing ever, at the afterhours club Surface. Her opponents collectively weighed about 800 pounds — a group of really, really, high guys looking for trouble.
"They attacked us [the bouncers] because they were convinced that we wanted to pick a fight with them. Before I knew it, one guy had me pinned against the wall, feet up off the ground. Then he dropped me and I fell. In the middle of everything I heard one guy say — you're a chick; stay out of this."
"When I was on the ground, I looked beside me and one of my fellow bouncers [a boxer at that] was also down."
The fight lasted for about five minutes. Although Learning didn't suffer any major injuries, she remembers being very sore the next day. This didn't deter her from bouncing though; it is three years later and she still loves the job.
"I love the adrenaline rush," she says.
From a bouncing perspective, both women agreed that gay bars are generally less rowdy than straight bars, and that gay men are the least likely fighters. Rutherford said that Men's Night at the Lookout typically has the fewest problems. Rarely has Learning had to intervene in a physical fight between gay men, although she "once had to interrupt a slapping match."
But gay bars are not dispute-free, as seen with the recent fight involving well-known Ottawa drag queen, Michael Marcil, aka Dixie Landers, at Centretown Pub (where there is typically no staff member at the door). Rutherford remembers the times when Marcil had her back.
"Michael stuck up for me a lot. If he thought I was having trouble, he'd be right there behind me, saying he was there to help in case things got out of control."
Learning enjoys working Hump Wednesdays, where the drag queens always give her support.
"Drag queens are great to work with. They can shut anyone up in an instant!" she says.
Rutherford said many of the regular Lookout lesbians also have her back. The gay men, on the other hand, are not always so willing to jump in.
"But they're there to comfort me afterwards," Rutherford reassured me. Rutherford frequently accepts midnight poutine treats from her regular gay male patrons.
Even when not officially on the job, Rutherford and Learning find it hard to peel themselves away from the bouncer role.
"I'll find myself listening in on conversations if I think there may be trouble," Learning says.
"Even on my nights off, people will come up to me and say 'Hey Heather, there's a problem in the bathroom,'" Rutherford says.
Whether on or off duty, both women find their work intrinsically rewarding.
"It's nice to know you're looking out for other people when they're having fun; some people will give you a big hug afterwards, even if you had to kick them out!" Rutherford says.
"And a lot of people are respectful of the fact that I'm a female bouncer, and buy me a beer out of respect. It's nice," Learning says. She added that her beer consuming takes place off duty, of course.
Their shared passion for bouncing rang through their smiles, the colourful stories, not to mention their huge pipes. But that doesn't mean they don't look forward the end of a shift.
"I've been bitten, had my hair pulled, and called names," Rutherford says. "We're not allowed to drink at work, but sometimes we need a drink afterwards!
Date: 25th October 2007
Source: Herald Sun
Bouncers banned because of criminal convictions
VICTORIA Police have banned almost 1200 crowd controllers and security guards from working in the past two years after identifying criminal convictions during background checks.
Licences for 1187 registered crowd controllers and private security guards were revoked by police after checks were made in the LEAP databases for criminal histories or information was forwarded to authorities about recent convictions.
Security guards and crowd controllers are banned if they are convicted of serious criminal charges, including any drug offences and assaults that attract sentences of six months or more.
Victoria Police say there are 26,256 security licence holders.
"There have been approximately 11,500 cancellations over the last two financial years," said Insp Wayne Ashley at the Licensing Services Division.
"However a very large percentage have been due to cancelling an old licence for a new one as we moved from the old Private Agents Act to the new Private Security Act."
The licences of 1187 were cancelled because of compliance with probity, or criminal, issues.
Insp Ashley said Victoria had 16,695 licensed crowd controllers and 5938 licensed security guards.
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Date: 22nd October 2007
Source: U TV
Murder Trial of Limerick Bouncer to start today
The trial of four men accused of the murder of Brian Fitzgerald in Limerick is due to start today after being adjourned last week.
A jury of 12 men were sworn in last Monday but no evidence was heard.
The jury were warned not to read newspaper articles relating to the trial. 24 year old Gary Campion of Pineview Gardens, Moyross, John and Desmond Dundon both in their 20`s and from Ballinacurra Weston and Clare business man Anthony Kelly aged 50, with an address at Kilrush have all pleaded not guilty to murdering 34-year-old Brian Fitzgerald.
He was shot near his home at Mill Road, Corbally, Limerick on November 29th 2002.
A new juror joins the twelve man panel today after one of them was excused to allow him to continue his work with Trocaire in the run up to Christmas.
Mr Justice Peter Charleton last week banned the jury from reading any crime reports in any newspaper for the duration of the trial and strongly warned them against making their own enquiries about the case on the Internet or elsewhere.
The trial, which will formally open today, is expected to last around eight weeks at the Central Criminal Court sitting at Cloverhill.
U TV
Date: 17th October 2007
Source: The badger herald
The business of fake ID's
A University of Wisconsin freshman waits anxiously in line outside of the Madison Avenue nightclub on University Avenue Friday night.
The 18-year-old student said she hopes the bouncer will accept her fake ID — which she recently spent $150 on — and give her a wristband that enables her to buy alcoholic drinks at the bar.
“It’s part of the social life here in Madison,” said the freshman, who wished to remain anonymous. “I added my fake to the costs of my social expenses for this semester, which I hope will benefit me for semesters to come.”
She said Madison Avenue is one of the “easy” bars to get into because it already lets underage students in just to dance and not buy alcohol.
“At least I know the likelihood is they won’t take my ID,” she said. “The worst case is some guy who is over 21 could always buy me a drink.”
While students purchasing a fake ID might view this process solely as a rite of passage to hold them over until they are officially 21, the reality is the fake ID industry has become an intricate business between the parties involved.
Underage individuals, through what one anonymous UW student calls a “pay it forward system,” hear about people involved with the fake ID business and pay them for their services.
But bouncers want to take away fake IDs because they receive financial incentives from their bosses.
UW senior Noelle Connor, a cocktail waitress at the downtown bar Vintage said bouncers receive $10 for every ID they take.
The Madison Police Department also becomes involved with fake IDs when officers issue citations to students for possessing a false form of identification — a $501 fine.
Even some bar owners like Richard Lyshek, president of the Dane County Tavern League, said the fake ID business is creating more of a security issue within this country, adding the ramifications outweigh an underage patron’s desire to buy a cocktail.
Obtaining a fake ID: First step in the business cycle
One underage UW student said he entered the fake ID business about a year ago and customers find him primarily by word of mouth.
“When you start with one person, it just starts a chain reaction,” the student said.
As the middleman, he said he takes down all the information from individuals — their real name, hair color, eye color and height — and takes a picture of them before forwarding this data on to the person who makes the ID.
On the fake ID, the student said the only false information is the address.
The business, the student said, is predominately made up of freshmen and sophomores and has been quite successful.
The student said the IDs — which are scanned and read under a black light — have worked around the country and, to his knowledge, have only been taken away because the individual possessing the ID looks too young to be 21.
“Bars are private,” the student said. “If they think you are underage and look underage, they will take the ID.”
With the market range for an ID that scans ranging from $80-150, the student said like with any business, the seller must be organized and able to communicate well.
“You will get angry customers if they don’t get their IDs in a timely fashion,” the student said. “To do well, you have to keep your promises.”
How bouncers pocket more cash with fake IDs
The first thing a bouncer looks at to determine whether an ID is fake is the expiration date, according to Connor.
If the bouncer has any doubt, Connor said, they will usually ask for a second form.
At Vintage, with bouncers receiving an extra $10 for every ID taken, Connor said bouncers often examine the birthday, eye color, height and weight between the individual and what is written on the ID.
Since bouncers often look at the same ID for the same states, Connor said it is obvious when the font or color is off or when the hologram associated with a particular state is either wrong or not placed correctly on the card.
Bouncers, Connor added, often see a lot of Michigan and Wisconsin fake IDs, and all these factors contribute to why the fake ID gets taken.
“I had friends that had IDs taken here,” Connor said. “I would advise people if they are not 21 to not go and try and drink here. Just avoid it.”
Zac Kasper, a former bouncer at State Street Brats, said bouncers at Brothers get $50 every time they take a fake ID.
“They are looking for more money and will deny individuals,” Kasper said.
At State Street Brats, though, Kasper said they did not get paid for obtaining a fake ID nor were they told to take an ID, rather they were told to just give the ID back.
Overall, Kasper said they were pretty good at identifying fake IDs and not many got past them.
Kasper said some common states he saw for fake IDs were California, Alaska and New Jersey and added they were easy to identify if the words “authenticate” or “valid” were on the fake.
UW senior and former City Bar bouncer Zach, who wishes only to be identified by his first name, said how strict a bar is on fake IDs depends on how worried the owner is about receiving a fine.
“Being a State Street bar indicates a significant portion of the population is underage,” Zach said. “Owners fear when the city threatens to shut down the bars for a weekend because it is hard to make back that kind of money.”
Zach said the general policy is if the ID is fake or expired, the bouncer should take it. However, he admits he never took an ID.
On any given night, Zach said about 15 percent of the IDs were fake but added if underage individuals got in, the likelihood was the bouncer was looking the other way.
City, Zach said, has a mediocre reputation on a difficulty scale for letting underage drinkers in — not as strict as a Wando’s or Brothers but not as lenient as Johnny Os — and said bouncers never received any additional compensation for taking IDs.
“The owner never said, ‘Let underage people in,’” Zach said. “[They] only said to be strict on IDs or nothing at all.”
Police role in confiscating IDs
UW Police Department Sgt. Jason Whitney said the UWPD lacks jurisdiction over bars because they are not located on campus, but added it is the up to the particular officer’s discretion whether or not he or she confiscates an ID and issues a citation.
“There is probably a high percentage of under-the-influence students who carry a fake ID on any given night,” Whitney said. “But we are not required to forward it over to the city police.”
Whitney said liaison officers stationed in the dorms try to educate students on the consequences of having a fake ID, including the $501 for possession.
Joel DeSpain, public information officer for the MPD, said the police tell bar owners to confiscate IDs and will raid bars and issue fines if they suspect there are many underage individuals within the establishment.
DeSpain added while the police department does not use the fake IDs for any profitable market, it does use them for training purposes to see what is out there.
Bar owners and their take on greater ramifications for fake IDs
The Dane County Tavern League, Lyshek said, has no unified policy on what bars should or should not do with fake IDs.
Lyshek said while some bars pay bouncers per fake ID confiscated, there is no legal requirement and each bar does what works best for them.
There is no question, Lyshek said, the bars in downtown Madison are inundated with large quantities of fake IDs, which he believes poses a national security problem.
“The drinking age of 21 creates a large problem regarding the nation’s security,” Lyshek said. “There is a strong, thriving market for fake IDs creating greater accessibility for illegal immigrants and potential terrorists to rent a car and place a bomb somewhere … something a little more sinister than going out with friends and having a good time.”
Lyshek owns both the Ram Head downtown and the Bristly Bore Saloon in Middleton and said lowering the drinking age to 18 would likely eliminate the number of fake IDs being produced.
However, Lyshek said realistically, the chance of this happening is unlikely and added a legal drinking age of 19 could be a compromise of principles people could live with.
Will the business continue?
For now, fake IDs are very much a business and part of the culture of college life on universities across the country.
With almost three-quarters of the college age population under the age of 21, the ability to enter a bar requires students to have access to a fake ID.
“I’ll take my chances and let myself have a good time,” a UW freshman said.
Date: 17th October 2007
Source: Mississauga News
Bouncer shot breaking up fight
A 32-year-old Mississauga bouncer was lucky to escape without serious injury when he was shot early yesterday morning while trying to break up a fight between two patrons at a local club.
Peel Regional Police say the shot was fired after two men began fighting at the Fuel Lounge at 1565 Dundas St. E. at around 2:50 a.m.
When the security guard at the club intervened and pulled the two men apart in an attempt to end the fight, one of the combatants pulled out a gun and fired two shots, both of which hit the bouncer.
The man with the gun ran to the parking lot, firing two more shots into the air. He got behind the wheel of a black Mercedes and discharged his gun into the air two more times as he drove off.
The other man involved in the fight fled the scene on foot.
The bouncer was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for his wounds, which are not considered life-threatening.
The armed suspect is described as a black man, about 19 with short hair that was either shaved or in tiny corn rows. He wore a dark hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to call Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Mississauga News
Date: 12th October 2007
Source: Cord Weekly
Waterloo Nightlife: Bouncers
In a city with as many bars, pubs and clubs as Waterloo, there is no shortage of security personnel, more commonly known to students as bouncers.
Bouncers encounter some of the most difficult-to-handle individuals: drunks. With the stress involved with school, it’s no surprise that students go out to the local bars to let loose, and bar security personnel have to deal with any potential problems.
According to Nathan Sapelak, a fourth-year WLU student and bouncer at The Fox and Fiddle, their primary problem is people getting too drunk. “We tell them to leave and sometimes they don’t want to leave, sometimes they do,” he said.
There are numerous things that warrant getting kicked out of a bar, including being intoxicated to the point of being noticed by security or staff, fighting, causing damage to the bar and harassing staff members or other customers.
When it comes to judging how drunk someone is, it can sometimes be a bit difficult. “Basically, you have to judge 400 strangers on their sobriety,” said Chris Leggett, a Laurier graduate and bouncer at Phil’s Grandson’s Place.
When people get drunk they tend to get rowdy, and can often cause some physical damage to the bar.
“We’ve had people just kick holes in the drywall for no reason, rip the paper towel dispenser down, kick the door in on the stalls – stupidity like that,” said Leggett. “If we can figure out who it is, we’d like to think that they would be charged for it,” he added.
When it comes to fighting, the frequency and severity fluctuate. “It depends on the music [and] it depends how busy we are,” said Leggett, who added that there seem to be more problems on hip hop nights at Phil’s. “I don’t know if people drink more or if it’s just more crowded.”
As of right now, there is no official training involved in becoming a bouncer. Certain bars, like McMullan’s, have a specific program set up for training. “To be bar staff, they go through a two-hour orientation with me personally and then they go on some training shifts,” said owner Chuck McMullan.
Caesar Martini’s is also proactive with their training. “Pretty much once a week or once every two weeks we sit down and talk about new issues,” said owner Rob Howie.
Other bars don’t necessarily have formal training. “Older guys who had been doing it for a long time just showed me around, showed you what to do in situations, helped you out and stuff,” said Leggett.
Some bars require that their security personnel have their smart serve and first aid certification. According to Sapelak, job experience is preferred over certification as background for the position. “As soon as you get your first bar job and you get experience, then you can get jobs wherever.”
In August of this year, the Private Security and Investigative Services Act came into effect in Ontario, stating that all bouncers or security must undertake a mandatory training program that will certify them to work in a bar.
According to this act, all security personnel and bouncers will have to be certified before August 2008. Without the certification, they will not be able to work as security anywhere in Ontario.
As of right now, however, bar owners and employees are not aware of the exact details of the training. “I’m sure they will offer some sort of training program but there is none in place currently,” said McMullan.
“If it’s something you have to go for a day or a weekend and you don’t do anything and it just costs you $80 to be no further ahead other than a piece of paper, that’s just a rip off,” said Leggett. “I don’t really know what else you could teach,” he added.
Sapelak feels similarly about the act. “I know that things have happened, but taking a course isn’t going to change anything.”
Cord Weekly
Date: 9th October 2007
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Woman convicted of killing bouncer who denied entry
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A woman will spend life in prison for fatally shooting a Pittsburgh bar bouncer who denied her entry because she and her friends were lesbians.
An Allegheny County jury convicted 31-year-old Sameania (suh-MEEN'-yah) Lyn Carey on Thursday of first-degree murder and other charges in the shooting on Oct. 24, 2004.
Prosecutors say Carey shot 35-year-old Termain Woodson, a father of six, after he refused to let her group into the bar.
A jury deadlocked on the same charges last year.
Carey was also convicted for a firearms violation. She has a criminal record dating to 1995 for theft and other offenses and cannot legally possess a gun.
Date: 17th September 2007
Source: Myeyewitnessnews.com
Man Charged in Death of Tipton County Club Bouncer
Tipton County officials and the TBI have charged a man with first degree murder in the death of a club bouncer shot and killed Saturday, September 15, 2007.
Kelvin Rodgers, 34, worked at the Farm Club in Covington, TN. Witnesses say 28 year-old Andrew Harville was kicked out of the club after a disturbance Saturday night. Officers say Harville left and returned, and as Rodgers walked out of the club, Harville pulled his car toward the entrance and fired several shots.
Officers obtained a description of the car and were able to locate it with Harville still driving. Investigators say the shotgun used in the shooting was thrown from the car.
Officers say Harville admitted to waiting for Rodgers to leave the club and shooting him in the parking lot.
Date: 8th September 2007
Source: Portugal News Online
Two bouncers shot at nightclub
Following a wave of crime that appears to be targeting prominent nightclubs around the country, a latest incident saw two bouncers of a highly frequented venue being shot in the early hours of the morning.
Police have confirmed the shooting took place at Nell's Discotheque, in Campo Grand, at around 03h00, which left a 32-year-old, and a 34-year-old injured.
Both of the men were bouncers and are presently under observation in Lisbon's Santa Maria Hospital, where they were treated by Cardio-Vascular surgery services.
Three other women related to the incident were also given medical assistance, though were subsequently released.
A television channel has since reported that the men were shot at close range, by two individuals who kept their faces covered throughout the attack, and that the entire incident was taped by CCTV cameras.
