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Levenshulme PUBWATCH
is a community based crime prevention scheme, designed
to combat violence and other criminal conduct.
Membership of Pubwatch deters troublemakers and reduces
the risk of assaults on licensees, staff and customers.
It also reduces the risk of damage to property, increases
co-operation with the police (leading to a more effective
response to requests for assistance), and improves
public image.
Police statistics show a significant
decrease in violent offenders in pubs
where Pubwatch is in operation. The successful
operation of the scheme relies on the
dedication and enthusiasm of the participating
licensees. Tthe scheme relies on licensees
contacting the police if they are experiencing
or anticipate trouble.
The heart of Pubwatch is the rapid,
accurate and efficient communication of
details about potential problems.
Many Pubwatch systems use telephone links.
There are certain drawbacks to this in
that the chain may become broken and there
is the possibility of messages being significantly
distorted as they are passed along the
line.
To avoid this possibility an increasing
number of schemes are now using highly
effective voicebank and radiopaging devices
which store messages and alert users to
the fact that important information is
waiting for them.
Each section (of up to 25 pubs) will
have a Key Co-ordinator who keeps an up-to-date
list of licensees in the area and lays
down the system by which they will communicate
with each other in times of trouble.
According to the severity of the situation
a licensee may:
- Contact the police using the
emergency number 999;
- Inform contact pubs if troublemakers
are moving their way;
- Inform the key co-ordinator
if other sections need to be alerted.
In order to make the most effective response,
the police will need the following information:
- The type of trouble or potential
trouble.
- The type of assistance required.
- If the trouble has moved on.
- In which direction it was headed.
- As full a description as possible
of the troublemakers and any vehicles
involved.
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