New effort promotes safety in downtown Vancouver bars

Bar Watch members will post large red decals outside their bar, club or restaurant to send a message to patrons that their establishments meet the highest standards of keeping gang members on the outside.

It's a step forward in promoting the safety of establishments in Vancouver's downtown entertainment district, said Bar Watch chair John Teti.

The one-year initiative is being run in co-operation with Vancouver police.

Bar Watch clubs already employ metal detectors and ID scanners. Now they have given police the authority to enter their clubs uninvited and escort known gangsters from the premises.

"The most important thing is we've signed off [with police], that allows the Integrated Gang Squad to remove people from our bars without our permission," Teti said Friday.

"The police would be able to go in and remove anybody who's a problem in terms of being a gang associate, or someone involved in criminal activity, or who's prone to violence," said Vancouver police Insp. Rollie Woods, who's in charge of the entertainment district.

"We can remove them without putting the staff or owner in a difficult position of having to point them out," he said.

About 20 clubs have been approved to display the Bar Watch decal, Teti said.