Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

This report uses case studies from two force areas (Merseyside and Northumbria) to illustrate the nature of the connections between the topics of its title and develop proposals for their disruption.

Title: Clubs, Drugs & Doormen
Author: Sheridan Morris
Series: Crime Detection & Prevention Series Paper No.86
Publication date: March 1998
Number of pages: 2 (briefing) & 40 (full paper)

Key points

• Dance venues - whether these are large warehouses, night-clubs, pubs or bars - are potentially highly profitable sites of drug dealing. A recent survey by Release (1997) found that 97% of 517 respondents interviewed at dance events in London and the South East had taken an illegal drug at some point in their lives, and that 90% of these people had taken or planned to take an illegal drug that evening. The most common drugs involved were cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamines and LSD.

• Door supervision at dance events takes several different forms. Some venues employ staff on a purely personal and individual basis; others appoint door supervisor teams, which may operate at more than one venue. In some cases door supervision is provided by registered companies which are likely to be larger than the teams and may also be involved in non-entertainment security provision.

• The minority of door staff who are involved in drug dealing operate in various ways. Staff may simply turn a blind eye to dealing activity, receive payment in return for permitting dealing on the premises, or act as dealers themselves. The report examines two cases of door staff involvement in drug dealing: one in Liverpool, the other in Newcastle.

• The report also looks at the code of practice in operation between the Ministry of Sound night-club in London and the local Metropolitan Police Sector

Points for action

The report proposes a number of measures which can be used to disrupt criminal door teams and drug dealing in venues. These measures involve the police, local authorities, and venue owners and managers:

For the police

• Integrate and co-ordinate the intelligence and operations of uniformed and CID units.

• Make more vigorous use of licensing units that administer the licences required for the operation of venues.

• Monitor changes in door supervisor provision and the key figures behind door providers.

• Increase awareness of drug dealing techniques in clubs.

• Insert detainment teams prior to raids, following undercover observations and test purchases.

• Establish a relationship with venue managers and provide training in the powers of citizen’s arrest for club security staff.

• Carry out high profile police activity to deter dealing.

For local authorities

• Introduce and enforce door registration schemes.

• Adopt a strategy to inspect venues and enforce registration and health and safety regulations.

For club owners and managers

• Use only registered door supervisors from registered companies.

• Employ a split security team, with door supervisors from outside the area working alongside local staff.

• Strengthen club management and training.

• Ensure door supervisors actively search out and arrest individuals found in possession of suspected drugs.

Getting a copy

“Clubs, Drugs & Doormen” is available as a summary PDF (23 Kb) or a full report PDF (1.6Mb)