Bars will be watching

By Tim Petruk - Kamloops This Week Published: May 26, 2009

A controversial program that uses metal detectors and scanners will begin soon at a number of Kamloops bars. Speaking at a police committee meeting at city hall on Monday, community and corporate affairs director Len Hrycan said it’s now up to the Barwatch program itself — led locally by Cactus Jack’s Saloon general manager Pete Backus — to determine when it will officially begin operations. “We have authorized the use of the City of Kamloops logo with the Barwatch program,” Hrycan said, noting the city logo will likely adorn signage on bar doors notifying patrons about the program. “How quickly they initiate Barwatch is up to them now, in terms of roll-out.” Kamloops RCMP Insp. Yves Lacasse said Mounties are already working loosely with bars that will be involved in the program. “At the local level, whenever there’s an issue at the bar, we usually get a call right away,” he said. Barwatch is already in place in Vancouver and Nanaimo and similar programs have been in effect in Alberta for a number of years.

The Barwatch program requires establishments to use metal detectors on patrons, check IDs and scan bar-goers into Treoscope — an electronic database of bar patrons from all Barwatch locations. It involves scanning IDs and saving photos, with room for comments about potential problems or gang affiliations. Treoscope has been the cause of some controversy in the past and is being reviewed by the B.C. Privacy Commission. Lacasse said the Barwatch program is one more way police — working closely with local bars — can help keep a lid on gangs. “What we want is to go in and have the authority to remove these people from bars,” he said, explaining Barwatch gives Mounties the right to remove people at the bar’s discretion. “I think the majority don’t want these people around and, if you’re on the outside of the bubble, we’ll be looking at you,” Lacasse said. “We don’t want these people and associates in our bars or restaurants. “If you go out, we want you to be able to relax without bullets flying.” The Barwatch program is expected to be fully functional within months.

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(Treoscope Website)