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To Combat drink related anti-social behaviour. "BEHAVE OR BE BANNED!"
A new and exciting initiative kicked off in Southampton City Centre on the 1st June 2010. Its aims are simple: to reduce the amount of drink related anti-social behaviour and disorder in the city centre.
Yellow Card Southampton will bring together all businesses, authorities and agencies who have a vested interest in the night time economy.
This business-centred initiative is managed by the Southampton Licensing Link - Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP). The scheme is open to all businesses involved in the night time economy and the current members will have;
• Use of a License Link radio
• Access to a full-time dedicated Night Time Economy Manager
• The Yellow Card Southampton scheme
• Access to a secure website giving real-time intelligence based information about individuals carrying out anti-social behaviour including, photo gallery of offenders and excluded individuals with updates on their actions.
The BCRP facilitates and actively participates in License Link meetings in the city. All of these meetings have delivered positive outcomes of bringing together disparate (and often competitive) elements of the business community together. This in turn has allowed for greater partnership working in reducing crime and has given a voice to a sector of the community that has felt under-represented and neglected in the past.
How it works:
Members, security staff and Police can issue a Yellow Card to someone displaying anti-social behaviour. If an offender receives a yellow card their details and images will be added to our secure data-base and kept on record for 12 months.
If offender receives two yellow cards they are automatically banned from all member establishments for an additional 12 months.
This is an easily understandable system. Names and addresses are completed together with location details and a brief report on the incident. Tear off slips go to the BCRP who update their database. If names and addresses are incomplete, CCTV images, together with information from partners, can often identify the perpetrator. This can be a first step in behaviour change for some persistent offenders as by being barred they find that their social life becomes severely limited.
Exclusion is reviewable, in consultation with an independent appeals panel.
Around fifty City Centre venues are already signed onto the scheme with more expected to sign up soon. The Police, Council, Universities, Probation Services, CCTV and local businesses have all added their support to the scheme.
Chris Caesar, Night Time Economy Manager said: “By reducing drink related anti-social behaviour around the city centre we can then actively promote the city as a safe and vibrant place to visit for all, and encourage more visitors to enjoy what Southampton has to offer.”
Councillor Royston Smith, Cabinet Member for Community safety, said: “People tell us that drink related anti-social behaviour is one of their biggest concerns in the city. So we are delighted to be able to support this scheme which aims to make people safer. Everyone should be able to enjoy a night out.”
Ian Welland, Southampton City Centre Manager said: "This is a major initiative that targets people whose behaviour in pubs, bars and clubs is unacceptable. It also supports and ensures measures dealing ongoing anti-social behaviour by an individual are dealt with swiftly with a long term positive effect. I welcome this scheme for Southampton."
Richard Elborough, Licensing Link Chairman said: Licensing Link is pleased to adopt the yellow card scheme amongst its other initiatives in helping to cut down the anti social behaviour displayed by a small minority of people, as a voluntary organisation made up of licensees run on behalf of venues across the city, we are continually evolving as an organisation in the fight to cut down on a few people spoiling a night out for the rest of the city. We rely on the support of the licensees of the venues and of course the statutory authorities such as the police and the council whose input into our scheme is always valuable. We have always given out this simple message "Southampton is a vibrant, diverse city catering for all tastes, enjoy it and behave, or be banned from its venues”
Inspector Phil Bates, Hampshire Constabulary, said: We're calling time on drunkenness and violence in the city centre and the yellow card scheme gives us extra power to prevent those people who cause trouble in pubs and clubs and spoil it for everyone else. We want people to go out and have a good time, but if you cause trouble you'll be off!"
For more details, please click here
To see the Daily Echo news coverage, please click on the download below
To view the Daily Echo video of the launch, please click here
To contact Chris Caesar: Tel: 07500 959558 or Email: chris.caesar@hotmail.com
Yellow Card Launched in Southampton