Ahead of the Christmas party season, Guernsey’s bar staff have been trained to support and protect people from predatory behaviour.
The risks are heightened when people drink alcohol to excess so to pre-empt any problems Bailiwick Law Enforcement said it has been “taking proactive action to prevent harm in the night time economy”.
This includes supporting the work of charity Safety Net which has offered the training to bar staff, while also sending police officers on the same training courses.
There will also be an increased number of police officers in central St Peter Port on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the festive season.
“Both uniformed and plain-clothed officers will be on patrol across licensed premises, taxi ranks, bus stops and other key sites providing visible reassurance and rapid response,” said a spokesperson.
“Our officers are there to protect, support and reassure. We want to deter offenders and disrupt anyone displaying predatory or suspicious behaviour to reassure the community and businesses.
“If you have any concerns about someone’s behaviour toward others or yourself, please speak to one of our officers on the ground, or call the station on 01481 222 222. We will take any reports we receive seriously and investigate them robustly.”
The training that bar staff and some police officers attended earlier this year was intended to help staff identify risks to punters safety at an early stage, and to improve reporting of any offences to Guernsey Police.
Organised by Safety Net, the training meant Guernsey became the first jurisdiction outside the UK to have night-time economy venues certified as ‘Safe Places’.
300 people were given places on the training courses, funded by the Social Investment Fund, across five days.
This included staff from hospitality businesses including the Sarnia Hotels Group which owns Moores, Hotel de Havelet and Les Rocquettes, and staff at town bars including Ping Quay.