Assaults In and Around Bars, 2nd Edition

• NCJ Number: 215877
• Author(s): Michael S. Scott; Kelly Dedel
• Date Published: September 2006
• Length: 78 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1999-CK-WX-K004; 2005-CK-WX-K001
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Sale Source: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Publication Format: Spreadsheet
• Publication Type: Handbook
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: COPS Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem-Specific Guides Series No. 1; downloaded October 10, 2006.

Annotation

This guide focuses on how police officers can reduce the problem of assaults in and around bars.

Abstract

The guide describes useful measures of the effectiveness of responses to assaults in and around bars, such as calls for police service for bar fights, severity of injuries caused by bar assaults, and perceptions of safety among bar patrons. Once the local problem has been analyzed and a baseline for measuring effectiveness of the local response has been established, possible responses to the problem of assaults in and around bars should be considered. Several law enforcement strategies for reducing bar assaults are described, such as establishing responsible beverage service programs, training staff to handle patrons nonviolently, staggering bar closing times, and reducing the availability of potential weapons, such as drink glasses that easily shatter. The guide begins with a review of the factors that contribute to violent behavior in and around bars, including a culture accepting of intoxication, mandatory closing hours that encourage heavy drinking just before closing, aggressive bouncers, a high concentration of young male strangers, and overcrowded bar conditions. Dim lighting, tolerance for disorderly conduct, a high availability of weapons, and low levels of police regulation also contribute to an environment ripe for assault and violence. Next, the guide identifies a series of questions that should help police jurisdictions analyze the extent of their local problem. Questions fall within the domains of incident characteristics, victims of bar assaults, offenders of bar assaults, locations and times that assaults in and around bars typically occur, bar management practices, and regulation and enforcement practices that may contribute to the problem. Law enforcement responses that have met with limited effectiveness are also discussed and include strategies that prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol and using extra police patrols around bar areas. The appendix offers a summary of responses to assaults in and around bars. Appendix, endnotes, references