Metropolitan Police Pubwatch

What is Pubwatch?

PUBWATCH is a community based crime prevention scheme. It is organised by the licensees themselves to afford each other confidence and support, as well as some form of protection. The scheme, at its simplest, is a message-passing link between licensees, the object of which is to combat violence and other criminal conduct. It also provides better communication between licensees and police and provides a forum for the discussion and solution of problems relating to violence on licensed premises.

What are the advantages of Pubwatch?

For the licensed trade:

  • membership of Pubwatch deters troublemakers;
  • reduces rhe risk of assaults on licensees, staff and customers;
  • reduces the risk of damage to property leading to reduced repair bills;
  • increases co-operation with the police leading to a more effective response to requests for assistance;
  • improves public image and a sales environment in which trade can prosper.
  • PEACE OF MIND!

For police:

  • more information is provided about potential trouble-makers;
  • more precise details in calls for assistance aid more efficient use of resources;
  • violent incidents associated with licensed premises decrease;
  • liaison and understanding with the licensed trade improves.

Does Pubwatch work?

YES!

Police statistics show a significant decrease in violent offenders in pubs where Pubwatch is in operation. The rapid growth of the scheme clearly shows the value placed on Pubwatch by both the licensed trade and the police.

What are the essential basics of a Pubwatch scheme?

  • recognition of the need for a scheme;
  • the full backing of licensees, brewers and the police;
  • an efficient and dedicated organisation to run it;
  • some modest financial support for printing, stickers, etc.;
  • a logo to identify the scheme (you may wish to adopt the one on the cover of the leaflet).

How is a Pubwatch scheme set up?

The initiative will usually come from a group of licensees such as a Licensed Victuallers' Association. A Pubwatch co-ordinator should be appointed with a small committee of volunteers to help. It will make things easier if the co-ordinator is a well-known figure in the trade and if, from the outset, managers, tenants and free traders are all involved.

The co-ordinator should then approach the police at Superintendent level, to set up an introductory meeting between the committee, brewery company representatives and the police to establish full and open support for the scheme and to agree basic responsibilities. It is important that those who attend this meeting should be senior enough to make decisions about involvement and financial matters.

Police responsibilities include:

  • nominating a permanent Pubwatch liaison officer;
  • providing lists of licensed premises with recommendations about grouping them into sections. (As a guide, a particular section should not contain more than about 25 premises; more than this becomes unwieldy);
  • providing relevant crime statistics and monitoring the success of the scheme;
  • providing material support such as posters, etc.;
  • hosting launch meetings;
  • providing advice on communications systems;
  • making initial contact with new licensees and putting them in touch with the Pubwatch co-ordinator.

Licensed trade responsibilities include:

  • providing the Pubwatch co-ordinator and the organising team;
  • selecting "Key Co-ordinators" in each section;
  • operating the scheme and ensuring that all staff and holiday reliefs are briefed;
  • providing modest financial support;
  • producing the necessary documentation.

A launch meeting should be held to which all interested parties and the local press should be invited. The arrangements for this meeting will need a lot of careful thought - it is vital to get things off to a good start. It may help to include a representative from an existing Pubwatch scheme. The meeting must be well publicised and all local licensees encouraged to attend. This is the time to get the licensed trade to emphasise that it is their Pubwatch scheme. Although it is fully supported by the police, the successful operation of the scheme relies on the dedication and enthusiasm of the participating licensees. The police may wish to emphasise this and stress that the success of the scheme relies on licensees contacting the police if they are experiencing or anticipate trouble.

Following the launch, the participating licensees will need to be provided with all of the necessary information including details of the scheme, contact pubs, and 'Key Pubs', communication plans, posters, relevant crime prevention leaflets, etc

How does Pubwatch work?

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, we 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.

What next?

If you are a member of a Pubwatch scheme - well done!

If you are not, perhaps you should consider the merits of a tried and tested system which will give the following positive results -

  • troublemakers deterred;
  • a quicker police response;
  • fewer assaults;
  • less damage to property;
  • increased trade;
  • improved public image.

Crime Prevention