U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

www.cops.usdoj.gov

Assaults in and

Around Bars

by

Michael S. Scott

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series

No. 1

Assaults in and

Around Bars

Michael S. Scott

This project was supported by cooperative agreement #99-

CK-WX-K004 by the Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions

contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not

necessarily represent the official position of the U.S.

Department of Justice.

www.cops.usdoj.gov

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series

Guide No. 1

About the Guide Series i

About the Guide Series

The Problem-Oriented Guides for Police summarize knowledge

about how police can reduce the harm caused by specific

crime and disorder problems. They are guides to prevention

and to improving the overall response to incidents, not to

investigating offenses or handling specific incidents. The

guides are written for police–of whatever rank or

assignment–who must address the specific problem the guides

cover. The guides will be most useful to officers who

• Understand basic problem-oriented policing principles and

methods. The guides are not primers in problem-oriented

policing. They deal only briefly with the initial decision to

focus on a particular problem, methods to analyze the

problem, and means to assess the results of a problemoriented policing project. They are designed to help police

decide how best to analyze and address a problem they have

already identified. (An assessment guide has been produced

as a companion to this series and the COPS Office has also

published an introductory guide to problem analysis. For

those who want to learn more about the principles and

methods of problem-oriented policing, the assessment and

analysis guides, along with other recommended readings, are

listed at the back of this guide.)

• Can look at a problem in depth. Depending on the

complexity of the problem, you should be prepared to

spend perhaps weeks, or even months, analyzing and

responding to it. Carefully studying a problem before

responding helps you design the right strategy, one that is

most likely to work in your community. You should not

blindly adopt the responses others have used; you must

decide whether they are appropriate to your local situation.

What is true in one place may not be true elsewhere; what

works in one place may not work everywhere.
ii Assaults in and Around Bars

• Are willing to consider new ways of doing police business.

The guides describe responses that other police

departments have used or that researchers have tested.

While not all of these responses will be appropriate to your

particular problem, they should help give a broader view of

the kinds of things you could do. You may think you

cannot implement some of these responses in your

jurisdiction, but perhaps you can. In many places, when

police have discovered a more effective response, they have

succeeded in having laws and policies changed, improving

the response to the problem.

• Understand the value and the limits of research knowledge.

For some types of problems, a lot of useful research is

available to the police; for other problems, little is available.

Accordingly, some guides in this series summarize existing

research whereas other guides illustrate the need for more

research on that particular problem. Regardless, research

has not provided definitive answers to all the questions you

might have about the problem. The research may help get

you started in designing your own responses, but it cannot

tell you exactly what to do. This will depend greatly on the

particular nature of your local problem. In the interest of

keeping the guides readable, not every piece of relevant

research has been cited, nor has every point been attributed

to its sources. To have done so would have overwhelmed

and distracted the reader. The references listed at the end of

each guide are those drawn on most heavily; they are not a

complete bibliography of research on the subject.

• Are willing to work with other community agencies to find

effective solutions to the problem. The police alone cannot

implement many of the responses discussed in the guides.

They must frequently implement them in partnership with

other responsible private and public entities. An effective

problem-solver must know how to forge genuine
About the Guide Series iii

partnerships with others and be prepared to invest

considerable effort in making these partnerships work.

These guides have drawn on research findings and police

practices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada,

Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.

Even though laws, customs and police practices vary from

country to country, it is apparent that the police everywhere

experience common problems. In a world that is becoming

increasingly interconnected, it is important that police be

aware of research and successful practices beyond the borders

of their own countries.

The COPS Office and the authors encourage you to provide

feedback on this guide and to report on your own agency's

experiences dealing with a similar problem. Your agency may

have effectively addressed a problem using responses not

considered in these guides and your experiences and

knowledge could benefit others. This information will be used

to update the guides. If you wish to provide feedback and

share your experiences it should be sent via e-mail to

cops_pubs@usdoj.gov.

Acknowledgments v

Acknowledgments

The Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series is very much a

collaborative effort. While each guide has a primary author,

other project team members, COPS Office staff and

anonymous peer reviewers contributed to each guide by

proposing text, recommending research and offering

suggestions on matters of format and style.

The principal project team developing the guide series

comprised Herman Goldstein, professor emeritus, University

of Wisconsin Law School; Ronald V. Clarke, professor of

criminal justice, Rutgers University; John E. Eck, associate

professor of criminal justice, University of Cincinnati;

Michael S. Scott, police consultant, Savannah, Ga.; Rana

Sampson, police consultant, San Diego; and Deborah Lamm

Weisel, director of police research, North Carolina State

University.

Karin Schmerler, Rita Varano and Nancy Leach oversaw the

project for the COPS Office. Megan Tate Murphy

coordinated the peer reviews for the COPS Office. Suzanne

Fregly edited the guides. Research for the guides was

conducted at the Criminal Justice Library at Rutgers

University under the direction of Phyllis Schultze by Gisela

Bichler-Robertson, Rob Guerette and Laura Wyckoff.

The project team also wishes to acknowledge the members of

the San Diego, National City and Savannah police

departments who provided feedback on the guides' format

and style in the early stages of the project, as well as the line

police officers, police executives and researchers who peer

reviewed each guide.

Contents

About the Guide Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

The Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Related Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Factors Contributing to Aggression and Violence in Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Culture of drinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Type of establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Concentration of bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Aggressive bouncers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

High proportion of young male strangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Price discounting of drinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Refusal of service to intoxicated patrons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Lack of comfort and crowding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Competitive situations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Low ratio of staff to patrons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Lack of good entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Unattractive décor and dim lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Tolerance for disorderly conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Availability of weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Low levels of police enforcement and regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Understanding Your Local Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Asking the Right Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Incident Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Victims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Offenders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Locations/Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Contents vii
viii Assaults in and Around Bars

Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Regulation and Enforcement Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Measuring Your Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Responses to the Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

General Requirements of an Effective Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Specific Responses To Reduce Assaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Reducing Alcohol Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Making Bars Safer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Responses With Limited Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Appendix: Summary of Responses to Assaults in and Around Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Recommended Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Other Guides in This Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
The Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 1

The Problem of Assaults in 

and Around Bars

This guide deals with the problem of assaults in and around

bars.† We know a lot about the risk factors for these assaults,

and about effective responses to them. We know less about

which particular responses are most effective in addressing

specific aspects of the problem. Therefore, your challenge will

be to conduct a good analysis of the local problem, guided by

the information presented here, and put together the right

combination of responses to address that problem.

The guide begins by reviewing factors that increase the risks

of assaults in and around bars. It then identifies a series of

questions that might assist you in analyzing your local

problem of assaults in and around bars. Finally, it reviews

responses to the problem and what is known about these

from evaluative research and police practice.

Many bar patrons, especially men, report having been

assaulted on some occasion. Many of the injuries treated at

hospitals, especially facial injuries, are related to assaults in and

around bars. Most victims do not invite their assault. Most are

smaller than their attackers, are either alone or in a small

group, and are drunk more often than their attackers.

Attackers target victims who appear more intoxicated than

themselves.

Many assaults are not reported to the police by either bar staff

or the victim. Bar owners have mixed incentives about

reporting assaults to the police. On the one hand, they need

police assistance to maintain orderly establishments, but on

the other hand, they do not want official records to reflect

negatively on their liquor licenses. Many fights and disputes

that start inside a bar are forced outside by the staff so they

do not appear to be connected with the bar. Victims often are

† The term "bar" refers to licensed

liquor establishments that sell alcohol

primarily for consumption on the

premises. These include

establishments variously known as

nightclubs, pubs, taverns, lounges,

hotels (in Australia), discotheques, or

social clubs. The term "assault" refers

to the full range of violent acts, from

those that cause minor injury to

those that cause death, and from

consensual fights to unprovoked

attacks.
2 Assaults in and Around Bars

intoxicated, are ashamed and see themselves as partly

responsible, and so do not report assaults. Thus police

records do not reflect the amount of violence in and around

bars. However, we underestimate the seriousness of the

problem if we believe these assaults are just excessive

exuberance by young men or "just desserts" for drunken

troublemakers.

Related Problems

Assault is only one of many alcohol- and bar-related

problems the police must address. Other problems that call

for analysis and response include

• assaults around bars motivated by racial, ethnic, sexual

orientation, or other bias;

• binge drinking on college campuses;

• disorderly conduct of public inebriates who drink in bars

(e.g., panhandling, public urination, harassment,

intimidation, and passing out in public places);

• drug dealing in bars;

• drunken driving by customers leaving bars;

• gambling in bars;

• illegal discrimination against bar patrons;

• prostitution in bars;

• sexual assaults in and around bars; and

• underage drinking in bars.

Factors Contributing to Aggression and 

Violence in Bars

Understanding the factors that are known to contribute to

your problem will help you frame your own local analysis

questions, determine good effectiveness measures, recognize

key points of intervention and select an appropriate set of

responses for your particular problem.
The Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 3

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is the most obvious factor contributing to

aggression and violence in bars, but the relationship is not as

simple as it might seem. Alcohol contributes to violence by

limiting the drinker's perceived options during a conflict,

increasing the drinker's willingness to take risks, and impairing

the drinker's ability to talk his or her way out of trouble.

Many of the alcohol problems police deal with can be

attributed to ordinary drinkers who go on binges, drink more

than they usually do or drink on an empty stomach. In

general, those who drink a lot are more aggressive and also

get injured more seriously than those who drink moderately

or not at all.1 Moderate drinkers do not appear to be at

significantly higher risk of injury than nondrinkers.

Culture of drinking

Cultures that are more accepting of intoxication as an excuse

for antisocial or aggressive behavior, and which relax the

normal rules of society during drinking time, have higher

levels of aggression and violence in and around bars.2 This

tolerance for intoxication is often reflected in a society's laws

related to legal defenses to crimes, and to the regulation of

drinking and the alcohol industry.

Type of establishment

Certain types of bars, such as dance clubs, have higher levels

of reported violence. Neighborhood bars and social clubs

have lower levels of reported violence, partly because patrons

know one another well, and partly because they usually

resolve conflicts privately. Restaurants that serve alcohol also

have less violence. Bars that serve as pickup places, cater to

prostitutes, traffic in drugs or stolen goods, feature aggressive

entertainment, etc., are at higher risk for violence.
4 Assaults in and Around Bars

Concentration of bars

The evidence on the effect of bar concentration is mixed.

Some bars attract crime, while others are merely affected by

crime in the surrounding neighborhood. Blocks with bars

have higher levels of reported crime than blocks with no bars.

High concentrations of bars can increase barhopping, and if

all bars close at the same time, the risks of conflicts on the

street increase. But the mere fact that a neighborhood has a

high concentration of bars does not necessarily mean there

will be higher levels of crime in the area.3

Aggressive bouncers

The more aggressively the security staff handles patrons, the

more aggressively patrons respond. Many security employees

and bouncers lack the skills to defuse violence. The presence

of large, muscular men dressed in black, which is not

uncommon for security staff, encourages confrontations with

some patrons, while discouraging them with others. Bouncers'

very presence may subconsciously signal to some patrons that

physical confrontation is an acceptable way to resolve disputes

in that bar.

High proportion of young male strangers

The overwhelming majority of attackers and victims are

young men (18 to 29 years old). Many young men gather and

drink alcohol to establish machismo, bond with one another

and compete for women's attention. Many incidents of bar

aggression start when young men challenge one another. This

is more likely to happen when they do not know each other.

Overall, women's presence has a calming effect on men's

behavior in crowded bars.4
The Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 5

Price discounting of drinks

Many bars offer discounted prices for drinks to attract

patrons, but price discounting increases patrons' intoxication

levels and thereby increases the risks of aggression.

Refusal of service to intoxicated patrons

Refusing service to intoxicated patrons often makes them

angry. Bartenders and wait staff who do not want this

aggression directed at them, and who also may not want to

risk losing tips, often continue to serve obviously intoxicated

patrons.

Lack of comfort and crowding

Poor ventilation, high noise levels and lack of seating make

bars uncomfortable. This discomfort increases the risks of

aggression and violence. Crowding around the bar, in

restrooms, on dance floors, around pool tables, and near

phones creates the risk of accidental bumping and irritation,

which can also start fights.5

Crowding in bars creates the risk of accidental bumping and irritation,

which can lead to assaults. (Photo has been blurred to protect the identities of

the patrons.)

Kip Kellogg
6 Assaults in and Around Bars

Competitive situations

Competition at the pool table or other games can be a source

of anger and frustration. Competitive drinking contests (e.g.,

"chugging" beer or rolling dice for drinks) contribute to

excessive drinking.

Low ratio of staff to patrons

Inadequate staffing increases the competition for service and

the frustration of patrons, and reduces opportunities for staff

to monitor excessive drinking and aggression.

Lack of good entertainment

Entertained crowds are less hostile. Quality music (as defined

by the patrons) is more important than the music's noise 

level.†

Unattractive décor and dim lighting

Unattractive, poorly maintained and dimly lit bars signal to

patrons that the owners and managers have similarly low

standards for behavior, and that they will likely tolerate

aggression and violence.

Tolerance for disorderly conduct

If the bar staff tolerates profanity and other disorderly

conduct, it suggests to patrons that the staff will tolerate

aggression and violence, as well.

† Newspaper articles and reports

from some police agencies suggest

that certain forms of music, such as

hip-hop, attract aggressive and

violent crowds, but it is unlikely that

the musical form itself generates

aggression, at least not directly.
The Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 7

Availability of weapons

Bottles, glasses, pool cues, heavy ashtrays, and bar furniture

can all be used as weapons. The more available and dangerous

these things are, the more likely they will cause serious injury

during fights and assaults.

Low levels of police enforcement and regulation

Low levels of liquor-law enforcement and regulation reduce

owners' and managers' incentives to adopt responsible

practices.† We do not know for certain what effect the

deployment of off-duty police officers in and around bars has

on assault rates.

† Some police departments

discourage or prohibit uniformed

patrol officers from inspecting bars,

while other departments encourage it

and make it a key element of their

efforts to control problems in and

around bars. The CharlotteMecklenburg (N.C.) Police

Department successfully lobbied for

legislative changes to allow police

officers to inspect licensed premises.

Understanding Your Local Problem 9

Understanding Your Local Problem

The information provided above is only a generalized

description of the problem of assaults in and around bars.

You must combine the basic facts provided above with a

more specific understanding of your local problem. Analyzing

the local problem helps in designing a more effective response

strategy.

Asking the Right Questions

The following are some critical questions you should ask in

analyzing your particular problem of assaults in and around

bars, even if the answers are not always readily available. Your

answers to these and other questions will help you choose the

most appropriate set of responses later on.

Incident Characteristics

• Is the problem primarily one of bar fights, public inebriates

assaulting one another, strong-arm robberies, sexual

assaults, bias-motivated assaults, or something else?

• What precipitates the attacks (e.g., verbal exchanges/insults,

threats, disagreements, long-standing disputes, or advances

to girlfriends/boyfriends)?

• How/why does verbal aggression escalate into physical

assaults?

• Is there a widespread perception that certain bars or

entertainment districts are dangerous because of assaults?

• What weapons, if any, are used in assaults?

Victims 

• Who is assaulted?

• Do victims report the assaults to the police? (Surveys of

patrons and emergency room admissions may reveal

unreported assaults.)
10 Assaults in and Around Bars

• Are victims typically intoxicated?

• Are victims alone or in groups?

• Are victims members of any ethnic or other subculture?

• Are many of the victims underage drinkers?

• How serious are victims' injuries?

• Do victims typically instigate assaults?

• Are there chronic victims of assault?

• Do victims typically know their assailants?

Offenders

• How old are offenders? Do they belong to any particular

ethnic, occupational, recreational, or other group?

• Are offenders alone or in groups?

• Are there repeat offenders? Do they have prior criminal

records for assault?

• Are offenders typically known as troublemakers in bars?

• Are offenders typically intoxicated? Do they get intoxicated

in the same bar in or around which the assaults occur?

• Are offenders themselves injured in the fights/assaults?

How seriously?

• Are offenders heavy drinkers? Do they have histories of

alcohol-related problems (e.g., commitments to

detoxification centers)?

Locations/Times

• In or around which bars are assaults concentrated?

• Where, specifically, do assaults occur (e.g., inside/outside,

restrooms, alleys, streets/sidewalks, parking lots, or around

the bar)?

• What is the nature of the surrounding neighborhood (e.g.,

entertainment district or primarily residential/commercial/

industrial)?

• Are the bars on or near major roadways?
Understanding Your Local Problem 11

• Do the bars themselves appear to generate the aggression

and violence, or are they merely affected by other

conditions in the surrounding neighborhood?

• When do assaults occur (e.g., closing time, happy hour,

special events, or weekends)?

• What public transportation is accessible after closing hours

(e.g., buses, trains or taxis)?

• Is there a high concentration of bars in areas with high

reported assault levels?

• What are the lighting conditions outside bars? Do assaults

outside bars occur in dark areas or areas not easily seen by

passers-by?

• Are there objects outside bars that can readily be used as

weapons (e.g., loose stones, trash receptacles)?

Management Practices 

• What is the primary theme of problem bars?

• Does the bar serve food, or is it available nearby?

• Does the bar offer discounted drinks?

• What entertainment, if any, does the bar offer? Does the

entertainment contribute to aggression?

• Does the bar employ bouncers? If so, are they aggressive?

• What is the ratio of bar employees to patrons? Is it

sufficient to provide timely service and monitor patrons'

drinking?

• Do bar employees call the police under appropriate

circumstances?

• Are employees encouraged to push altercations outside the

bar?

• Are employees trained to recognize signs of intoxication, to

refuse service diplomatically, and to defuse aggression?

Does management have written policies regarding these

practices, expect employees to follow them, and support

them when they do?
12 Assaults in and Around Bars

• What conduct is prohibited in the bar? Do employees

effectively enforce those prohibitions? 

• Is the bar décor attractive and interior lighting adequate?

• Is the bar crowded when assaults occur?

• Do competitive events (e.g., playing pool, darts, rolling dice)

lead to assaults? 

• Does the bar discourage barhopping (e.g., restrict reentry,

charge entry fees or prohibit carrying out drinks)?

• Does the bar have items that patrons can readily use as

weapons? 

• Does the physical setting (e.g., sharp-edged bar tops or

glass) create risks of serious injuries?

Regulation and Enforcement Practices 

• Do the police or liquor-license regulators routinely inspect

bars for compliance with regulations? Do they inspect for

serving practices and occupancy limits, in addition to

technical license requirements?

• Do the police or regulators take enforcement actions? 

• Do bar owners believe laws will be enforced? Do they

perceive enforcement actions as fair?

Measuring Your Effectiveness

Measurement allows you to determine to what degree your

efforts have succeeded and suggests how you might modify

your responses if they are not producing the intended results.

You should take measures of your problem before you

implement responses to determine how serious the 

problem is, and after you implement them to determine

whether they have been effective. For more detailed guidance

on measuring effectiveness, see the companion guide to this

series, Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory Guide for

Police Problem-Solvers. The following are potentially useful

measures of the effectiveness of responses to assaults in and

around bars:
Understanding Your Local Problem 13

• Reduced number of assaults.

• Reduced calls for police service for fights and assaults

(assuming you are confident that police are being called

when appropriate).

• Reduced severity of injuries caused by assaults (it may be

possible to reduce the degree of injury, even if the number

of assaults does not decline).

• Increased reporting of assaults to police (if you suspect that

many assaults are not being reported). You might compare

emergency room records with police records.

• Fewer repeat victims and repeat offenders.

• Greater perception of safety among bar patrons,

neighboring merchants and residents.

• Increased profitability of bars with high assault rates. (Bars

with high assault levels typically lose money.)

Responses to the Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 15

Responses to the Problem of Assault in

and Around Bars

Your analysis of your local problem should give you a better

understanding of the factors that are contributing to the

problem. Once you have analyzed your local problem and

established a baseline for measuring effectiveness, you should

consider possible responses to address the problem. The

following response strategies provide a foundation of ideas

for addressing your particular problem. These strategies are

drawn from a variety of research studies and police reports.

Several of these strategies may apply to the particular problem

in your community. It is critical that you tailor responses to

local circumstances, and that you can justify each response

based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy

will involve implementing several different responses. Law

enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing

or solving the problem. Do not limit yourself to considering

what police can do to better address the problem: give careful

consideration to who else in your community shares

responsibility for the problem and can help police better

respond to it.

This section is divided into two parts: general requirements of

an effective strategy, and specific responses to reduce the risk

of assault.

General Requirements of an Effective Strategy

1. Enlisting community support for addressing the

problem. Broad-based coalitions that incorporate the

interests of the community, the bars and the government

are recommended.6 A number of communities, including

Vancouver (British Columbia) and Edmonton (Alberta),

have organized "bar watch" or "pub watch" programs.

These programs incorporate the interests of bar owners,
16 Assaults in and Around Bars

community members and government regulators,

including the police. The key is to keep all parties

motivated and actively involved for extended periods of

time. All parties should come to accept ownership for the

problem, and for responses to it.† Strong leadership, active

police involvement and adequate funding are essential.

2. Implementing multifaceted, comprehensive

strategies. Multifaceted, comprehensive strategies are

more effective than those that address only one or a few

of the conditions that increase the risks of aggression

and violence. Any intervention strategy should seek to

address as many known risk factors as possible.

3. Getting cooperation and support from bar owners

and managers. It is important to secure the cooperation

and involvement of all bars in the area to guard against

merely moving the problem somewhere else, and against

losing the support of owners who feel unfairly targeted.

Bar owners should agree in writing to codes of good

practice, and establish ways to enforce them. Rogue bar

owners can easily undermine these agreements by

refusing to follow the code of practice. This creates

pressure on other operators to do likewise. You should

apply basic preventive and enforcement measures to all

bars, while applying some special preventive and

enforcement measures at high-risk bars. It is critical that

you acknowledge the legitimacy of bar owners' profit

motive.

4. Informally monitoring bar policies and practices.

Voluntary safety audits and risk assessments can be used

to identify high-risk locations and conditions.7 Monitoring

systems should use data to measure effectiveness.

Voluntary agreements among bars should be overseen

and monitored by informal groups rather than

government officials.

† In addition to the parties

frequently mentioned in this guide,

the following may have a stake in the

problem of assaults in and around

bars, and you might consider asking

for their points of view: risk

managers/liability insurance agents

for bars, local liquor retailer

associations, bank officials holding

mortgages or business loans on bars,

emergency medical

personnel/treatment facilities,

substance abuse treatment

organizations, neighborhood

residents, other business owners, and

employees in the vicinity of bars.
Responses to the Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 17

5. Formally regulating and enforcing relevant liquorlicensing laws. Voluntary agreements should be

reinforced by formal regulation. Fair and well-enforced

liquor-license regulation, with license suspensions and

revocations, is key to ensuring responsible policies and

practices.† Fair and consistent enforcement of liquorlicense laws by the police and liquor-licensing authorities

is more effective than relying solely on more expensive

responsible-beverage-service training programs.8 More

intensive police inspections of licensed bars will also

result in higher recorded crime rates, but this encourages

bar owners to adhere to good management practices and

to obey liquor laws. In many jurisdictions, however, the

liquor-licensing authority's resources are inadequate for

enforcement.

† Madison, Wis., adopted a point

system in 1986 as the basis for

sanctions against liquor licensees in

order to remove some of the

arbitrariness of the administrative

process, and the police department

developed methods for recording and

reporting police activities at bars to

the liquor-licensing authority. A key

feature of the system is that reports

of problems by the owners/

managers to the police, and

cooperation with the police, reflect

favorably rather than negatively on

the licensee. A police representative

serves as a nonvoting member of the

alcohol license review committee. By

contrast, the Green Bay (Wis.) Police

Department (1999) had to change

city officials' attitudes toward liquorlicense regulation in order to close or

improve control over problem bars.

Police inspections of bars and

enforcement of liquor laws

encourages bar owners to adhere to

responsible management practices.

Kip Kellogg
18 Assaults in and Around Bars

Some communities use nuisance-abatement laws and

conditional-use permits (business permits with special

requirements and restrictions) to compel bar owners to

establish and enforce responsible policies and practices that

can reduce aggression and violence in and around the

premises.†

Specific Responses To Reduce Assaults

You will need to combine two groups of responses in any

effective strategy:

• responses to reduce how much alcohol patrons drink, thereby

reducing aggression and vulnerability to assault; and

• responses to make the bar safer, regardless of how much

alcohol patrons consume.

Reducing Alcohol Consumption

6. Establishing responsible-beverage-service programs

and server liability laws.†† Responsible-beverage-service

training and server liability laws can be effective in

reducing intoxication and assaults, especially where there

is community support for these laws and adequate

enforcement of them.9 Responsible beverage service can

be promoted through voluntary or mandatory training

programs and through server liability laws. Bar owners

and managers, as well as serving staff, should receive

training. Although responsible-beverage-service policies

and the physical redesign of bars are costly for bar

owners in the short term, there is evidence that, in the

long term, these policies and design changes can actually

make many bars more profitable.10

† Fresno, Calif., makes extensive use

of conditional-use permits to

regulate liquor establishments.

Sacramento, Calif., prepared a Model

Conditional-Use Permit Ordinance

for Retail Alcohol Outlets (Wittman

1997). The Hayward (Calif.) Police

Department helped private residents

file a civil lawsuit against a problem

bar, the result of which was then

used to revoke the liquor license

(Sampson and Scott 2000).

†† Erenberg and Hacker (1997) list

states with mandatory server training

laws. They cite Oregon's as a model,

and include a model ordinance for

mandatory server training. Wittman

(1997) reports that many California

cities have mandated responsiblebeverage-service training for servers,

as well.
Responses to the Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 19

Responsible-beverage-service programs include a number of

specific elements, the most common of which are the

following:

6a. Discouraging price discounting of alcohol. Reducing

the price of drinks during happy hours significantly

increases consumption by both light and heavy drinkers.11

The competitive pressure to reduce drink prices actually

threatens many bars' profitability, so some owners actually

appreciate restrictions on price discounting.

6b. Monitoring drinking to prevent intoxication.† Alcohol

servers can be held legally liable either for the harm

caused by drunken patrons (through private civil suits) or

for merely serving drunken people (through statute

enforcement by the police or liquor-license regulators).

Server liability laws alone have had mixed results as an

incentive for bar owners to adopt and enforce

responsible-beverage-service policies and practices.12

While it may take a long time for enforcement officials to

witness bar staff serving intoxicated people, the benefits

appear to be worth the costs.13 For the most part, it is still

too easy for both drunken and underage drinkers to get

served in bars.14

6c. Promoting slower rates of drinking. Several practices

encourage patrons to drink quickly, such as having

mandatory closing times, having happy hours, serving

multiple drinks at one time, and tolerating "chugging"

contests and other drinking games. Eliminating these

practices can slow the rate at which patrons feel

compelled to drink.

† Erenberg and Hacker (1997)

report that 36 states have some form

of dramshop liability law, and refer

to the Model Alcoholic Beverage

Retail Licensee Liability Act of 1985.
20 Assaults in and Around Bars

6d. Prohibiting underage drinking. This response prevents

less physically and emotionally mature patrons from

getting intoxicated. It is unclear, though, what effect

allowing underage patrons into bars, even if they are not

served alcohol, has on the assault problem.

6e. Providing reduced- or non-alcohol beverages.

Offering reduced- or non-alcohol beverages can lower

patrons' intoxication level, patrons who might otherwise

be potential assailants and/or victims. Regardless, the risk

of injury from assault is reduced. There are virtually no

drawbacks to this response as long as some patrons will

drink these beverages.

6f. Requiring or encouraging food service with alcohol

service. Eating while drinking slows the rate of alcohol

absorption into the bloodstream. Serving food also helps

create an atmosphere that is not exclusively centered

around alcohol consumption, and can attract a more

diverse, and possibly less aggressive, clientele.15

7. Reducing the concentration or number of bars. There

is growing evidence that the concentration of bars in an

area is related to that area's crime levels and patterns,

although the exact nature of the relationship is not yet

clear.16 We cannot yet say how many bars in a small area

are too many, but evidence does exist suggesting that

there is such a threshold. Police agencies can support

efforts to reduce the concentration or number of bars

through zoning and liquor-license enforcement.

8. Prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol.

Alcohol prohibition is effective only in unique cultural

contexts where there is widespread public support for it.†

Under most circumstances, strict prohibition creates an

illegal alcohol market, and violence is often used to

enforce that market.17

† Barrow, Alaska, an isolated Arctic

community, experienced dramatic

decreases in alcohol-related assaults,

as well as many other alcohol-related

problems, when it banned the sale,

possession and consumption of

alcohol (Sampson and Scott 2000).

Some cities, such as Chicago, have

provisions allowing residents to vote

to prohibit alcohol sales in specific

areas, in effect, to create dry zones

within the larger community.
Responses to the Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 21

Making Bars Safer

9. Training staff to handle intoxicated patrons

nonviolently. There are conflicting views about the

effectiveness of employing security staff (bouncers and

doormen) as a way to reduce assaults in and around

bars.18 A number of communities require security staff to

be licensed, registered and trained, a measure endorsed by

several researchers.19

Marsh and Fox Kibby (1992) listed the following particular techniques

bar staff can use to defuse aggressive incidents:

• Remove the audience (get aggressors away from onlookers)

• Employ calming strategies

Verbal skills

* Allow the aggressor to talk and express anger

* Use role-appropriate language

* Avoid hostile or angry remarks

* Respond indirectly to hostile questions

* Express an understanding of the aggressor's mood

Nonverbal skills

* Increase the distance between oneself and the 

aggressor

* Avoid sustained eye contact with the aggressor

* Move slowly and avoid sudden movements

* Maintain calm, relaxed facial expressions

* Control the vocal signals of anxiety and stress

• Employ control strategies

* Clearly establish the situation requirements

* Depersonalize the encounter

* Emphasize one's role requirements

* Encourage the aggressor's decision-making

* Offer the aggressor face-saving possibilities
22 Assaults in and Around Bars

10. Establishing adequate transportation. Adequate public

transportation to and from bars, especially after closing

hours, can reduce competition for transportation, more

quickly clear the streets of intoxicated people, and reduce

the hazards of drunken driving.

11. Relaxing or staggering bar closing times. Allowing

bars to determine their own closing times or staggering

the mandatory closing times results in fewer intoxicated

people on the streets competing for food, transportation

and attention.20 In addition, more people are on the

streets, though in lower concentrations, for longer periods

of time–a factor that improves natural surveillance and

makes people feel safer.† However, it is also possible that

staggered closing hours will increase barhopping as

patrons roam the streets looking for open bars. So, while

staggered closing times show promise in reducing assault

levels, there is a need for more evidence of its impact. If

this response is implemented, it should first be done in a

controlled pilot effort to gauge the overall effect.

12. Controlling bar entrances, exits and immediate

surroundings. In addition to employing bouncers or

doormen, some bars install surveillance cameras at

entrances and exits to discourage altercations. Prohibiting

reentry after exit or charging reentry fees can discourage

barhopping, which can reduce the risks of assaults among

drunken patrons on the streets.21 Regulating parking

outside bars is a way to control the movement of patrons

and their vehicles, and enhancing lighting in alleys and

parking lots improves natural surveillance.

13. Maintaining an attractive, comfortable, entertaining

atmosphere in bars. Attractive, well-maintained bars

suggest to patrons that the owners care about their

property and will not tolerate disorderly and violent

† There are pending United

Kingdom government proposals to

eliminate mandatory pub closing

hours. A comprehensive package of

liquor-licensing legislation would also

give police more authority to close

rowdy pubs, allow for lengthy bans

of troublemakers and habitual

drunkards from pubs, and allow local

authorities to impose environmental

conditions on liquor licenses. The

proposed legislation is reported to

have both liquor industry and police

support.
Responses to the Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 23

conduct that might destroy it.22 A comfortable and

entertaining atmosphere reduces both frustration and

boredom among patrons, which can reduce levels of

aggression. The police in some jurisdictions enforce

occupancy limits (primarily adopted for fire safety) as a

means to control the crowding in bars that can lead to

fights.

14. Establishing and enforcing clear rules of conduct for

bar patrons. Restrictions on swearing, sexual activity,

prostitution, drug use and dealing, and rowdiness can

reduce aggression. A more permissive atmosphere with

little control over patrons' behavior is associated with

higher levels of aggression.23 Raising the height of the bar

area is one way to improve servers' capacity to monitor

patrons' behavior.

Occupancy limits should be enforced so that bar

patrons do not feel crowded. 

Kip Kellogg
24 Assaults in and Around Bars

15. Reducing potential weapons and other sources of

injury. Glasses that shatter in small pieces when broken

minimize the seriousness of injuries from assaults with

drink glasses. They may also be cheaper and more durable

than more dangerous glassware.24 Discouraging or

prohibiting patrons from taking glass containers out of

bars reduces the likelihood they will be used as weapons

in street fights.† Padded furniture or rounded corners on

tables and bars can also reduce the risk of serious injury.

Requiring identification to check out pool cues can

enhance accountability for their proper use and reduce

the likelihood patrons will use them as weapons.

16. Banning known troublemakers from bars. Banning

known troublemakers from bars takes them out of

situations where fights and assaults are likely to occur.††

Bar owners and the police should get legal guidance on

the required process for banning people, the length of

time such bans are effective, and the role police should

play in enforcing the bans. For this response to be

effective, the police and the bar management must

cooperate to identify those who have been banned.†††

Responses With Limited Effectiveness

17. Using extra police patrol in and around bars. Many

police departments concentrate on the streets outside

bars rather than the conditions inside bars. They do so by

providing a heavy police presence outside bars and, in

some instances, in the bars themselves, with regular onduty patrols through the bars or off-duty police officers

working there. The main result seems to be an increase in

the rates of reported and recorded offenses, if for no

other reason than the police witness offenses that might

otherwise go unreported.25 †††† Heavy police involvement

through patrols and enforcement is not essential if there

† The Merseyside Police (2000)

coordinated a plan that promoted the use

of toughened glass containers, added litter

containers outside bars and had bar staff

and police discourage patrons from taking

glass containers out of bars in downtown

Liverpool. Serious assaults involving glass

injuries in and around bars in the target

area declined significantly. The police

subsequently convinced the city council to

authorize police to confiscate glass

containers outside bars. The city of

Savannah, Ga. allows patrons to take

alcoholic beverages out of bars in the

entertainment district, but requires that they

be in plastic cups. The so-called "to-go

cups" are used extensively.

†† The city of Portland, Ore., explained

the procedures for banning troublemakers

from liquor establishments in a guidebook

for liquor establishment owners and

managers (Campbell Resources Inc. 1991).

The Madison Police Department uses what

it calls an "Unruly Patron Complaint." They

remove unruly customers from bars and

serve them a form telling them they are

banned from entering the bar again due to

their behavior. They file a report and give

the bar a copy of the complaint, with the

offender's name and information, and a

case number. Should the patron return to

the bar, the bar staff calls the police, who

arrest the patron for trespassing. Madison

police have found this tactic especially

helpful in bars with a regular clientele who

fear losing the privilege of going there.

††† The Arlington (Texas) Police

Department (1997) helped one especially

problematic bar develop a computer

database to record all people ejected from

or arrested at the bar, and to make this

information available to door security staff.

†††† One sensible response related to

police enforcement is to pass legislation

making public fighting an offense, as was

done at the recommendation of the

Edmonton Police in 1999. This allows

police to arrest offenders even when they

cannot establish the elements of assault and

battery.
Responses to the Problem of Assaults in and Around Bars 25

is sufficient community, peer and regulatory pressure on

licensees to manage bars responsibly. The police are

neither able, nor fully authorized, to regulate every aspect

of bar management, but they can encourage, support and

insist on responsible management policies and practices.

18. Marketing responsible consumption and service

practices. Efforts to reduce consumption by educating

people about responsible drinking do not appear

effective.26 Media messages to young audiences about the

dangers of drinking are counteracted by news about the

health benefits of drinking modest amounts of alcohol,

and by alcohol industry promotions. While major alcohol

manufacturers and distributors have toned down their

marketing campaigns in recent years, promoting

responsible drinking, local bars have filled the void in the

competition to attract patrons.27 † Police can target their

enforcement efforts toward irresponsible advertising by

bars.

† The North American Partnership

for Responsible Hospitality and the

National Licensed Beverage

Association set standards for

responsible beverage service, even

though they have little direct

influence over individual licensed

premises. Sources of U.S. alcohol

industry advertising codes include the

Beer Institute, the Wine Institute and

the Distilled Spirits Council of the

United States. State and local laws,

newspaper advertising policies and

college campus advertising policies

may also govern alcohol marketing.

Appendix 27

Appendix: Summary of Responses to

Assaults in and Around Bars

The table below summarizes the responses to assaults in and

around bars, the mechanism by which they are intended to

work, the conditions under which they ought to work best,

and some factors you should consider before implementing a

particular response. It is critical that you tailor responses to

local circumstances, and that you can justify each response

based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy

will involve implementing several different responses.

Enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing

or solving the problem.

1.

2.

3.

15

16

16

Enlisting

community

support for

addressing the

problem

Implementing

multifaceted,

comprehensive

strategies

Getting

cooperation and

support from bar

owners and 

managers

Establishes joint

ownership of the

problem

Addresses many

of the known risk

factors that

contribute to

assaults

Prevents

displacement of

the problem;

prevents

perceptions of

unfairness;

addresses

problems at

lower-risk bars

...there is

sufficient public

interest in and

political support

for addressing the

problem

...responses are

properly

implemented (in

the right sequence

and strength)

...there are

mechanisms to

enforce

agreements, and

regulators

acknowledge the

legitimacy of

owners' profit

motive

Requires a high

degree of project

management to

sustain coalitions

over time

Difficult to isolate

the effect of

specific

interventions;

requires a high

degree of project

management

Rogue operators

can easily

undermine

cooperative

agreements

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations

General Requirements
28 Assaults in and Around Bars

4.

5.

6.

6a.

16

17

18

19

Informally

monitoring bar

policies and

practices

Formally

regulating and

enforcing relevant

liquor-licensing

laws

Establishing

responsiblebeverage-service

programs and

server liability

laws

Discouraging

price discounting

of alcohol

Identifies highrisk locations and

practices;

enforces

cooperative

agreements;

monitors progress

and effectiveness

Motivates

owners/managers

to adopt and

enforce

responsible

serving policies

and practices

Addresses a range

of risk factors,

especially

reducing

intoxication

levels; provides

incentives for

servers to control

excessive

consumption

Reduces volume

of consumption

...participating

bar owners

cooperate and

support the

oversight system

...done in

conjunction with

more cooperative

and voluntary

efforts, and

enforcement is

consistent, routine

and perceived to

be fair

...there is

sufficient

community

support for

liability laws, and

laws are enforced

adequately

...all bars are

prohibited from

discounting prices

Lacks the force of

law; requires a high

degree of project

management

Labor-intensive and

costly; increases

rates of reported

and detected

offenses

Evidence of

effectiveness is

mixed; requires

enforcement to be

taken seriously;

costly to establish

Easily undermined

by the pressures of

business

competition;

potential legal

restrictions to price

agreements

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations

Reducing Alcohol Consumption
Appendix 29

6b.

6c.

6d.

6e.

6f.

19

19

19

20

20

Monitoring

drinking to

prevent

intoxication 

Promoting slower

rates of drinking

Prohibiting

underage drinking

Providing

reduced- or nonalcohol beverages

Requiring or

encouraging food

service with

alcohol service

Reduces

intoxication levels

Reduces

intoxication levels

Prevents

intoxication of

vulnerable

population

Reduces

intoxication levels

Reduces

intoxication

levels; attracts a

more diverse, less

aggressive

clientele; creates a

calmer

atmosphere

...servers know

how to detect

intoxication and

have sufficient

incentives to stop

serving, and there

is adequate

opportunity to

monitor patrons

...bars prohibit

serving multiple

drinks to a single

customer

...jurisdiction has

identification

cards that are

difficult to falsify

...patrons will

drink reduced- or

non-alcohol

beverages

...patrons will

buy and consume

food, and food

service is

adequate so as

not to create

additonal conflict

and confusion

Refusing service to

intoxicated patrons

can instigate

aggression; civil

server-liability laws

may be weak, and

judgments rare;

difficult to monitor

drinking in large

bars

Runs counter to

licensees' shortterm profit motive

Easy to provide

false proof of age

in some

jurisdictions

Increases costs to

licensees, but does

not necessarily

reduce profitability

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations
30 Assaults in and Around Bars

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

20

20

21

21

22

Reducing the

concentration or

number of bars

Prohibiting the

sale and

consumption of

alcohol 

Training staff to

handle intoxicated

patrons

nonviolently

Establishing

adequate

transportation

Relaxing or

staggering bar

closing times 

Reduces

barhopping;

reduces the

potential for

conflicts at closing

time

Reduces

consumption

Reduces levels of

aggression;

encourages staff

to intervene

before assaults

occur

Reduces numbers

of intoxicated

people on streets

after closing

hours; reduces

competition for

transportation

Reduces the

concentration of

intoxicated people

on streets after

closing hours

...the

concentration of

bars is high

...there is

widespread public

support for

prohibition

...there are highquality training

programs

available

...the

transportation

infrastructure is

adequate to the

demand

...there are

multiple bars in

the area, with

large crowds

Not proven

effective at reducing

levels of violence

Difficult to obtain

widespread public

support; reduces the

positive effects of

social drinking;

creates illegal and

potentially violent

black markets

Increases costs to

either licensees or

local government to

administer training;

training is often of

poor quality

May increase costs

to local government

Requires legislation

to authorize; seems

counterintuitive and

therefore easily

opposed

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations

Making Bars Safer
Appendix 31

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

22

22

23

23

24

Controlling bar

entrances, exits

and immediate

surroundings 

Maintaining an

attractive,

comfortable,

entertaining

atmosphere in

bars

Establishing and

enforcing clear

rules of conduct

for bar patrons

Reducing

potential weapons

and other sources

of injury 

Banning known

troublemakers

from bars

Reduces the entry

of underage,

intoxicated and

belligerent

patrons; reduces

barhopping;

controls conflict

at key locations

Reduces the

frustration and

boredom that can

precipitate

aggression

Reduces the

potential for

conflicts among

patrons; promotes

a calmer

atmosphere

Reduces the

likelihood and/or

severity of injury

Removes high-risk

offenders from

situations where

altercations are

likely

...the security

staff is properly

trained and

nonaggressive,

and patrons often

get into conflicts

in the alleys and

parking lots

outside bars

...bar owners are

willing to invest in

maintenance and

entertainment

...bar owners

have sufficient

incentives to

promote peaceful

and legal conduct

...bar owners

know where to

purchase safer

materials

...police and bar

management

cooperate to

identify banned

patrons and

enforce the terms

of the

banishment

May increase shortterm costs to

licensees (for

security staff,

surveillance

cameras, lighting)

Increases shortterm costs to

licensees

May run counter to

patrons'

expectations and

desires

May increase shortterm costs to

licensees

Legal restrictions

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations
32 Assaults in and Around Bars

17.

18.

24

25

Using extra police

patrol in and

around bars

Marketing

responsible

consumption and

service practices

Intended to deter

assaults and allow

police to intervene

in disputes

Intended to

heighten general

awareness of the

problem and

discourage

excessive

consumption

Little evidence in

the research that

extra police

presence is effective

or efficient

Excessiveconsumptionwarning campaigns

do not appear

effective;

irresponsible

marketing can be

used to identify

high-risk bars

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations

Responses With Limited Effectiveness
Endnotes 33

Endnotes

1 Graham et al. (1996). 2 Graham et al. (1996); Pernanen (1998); Marsh and Kibby (1992); Homel and

Clark (1994). 3 Block and Block (1995). 4 Macintyre and Homel (1997). 5 Macintyre and Homel (1997). 6 Homel (1998); Wittman (1997); Homel et al. (1997); Deehan (1999); Erenberg

and Hacker (1997); Calgary Police Service (1994). 7 Homel et al. (1997). 8 Holder et al. (1997). 9 Stockwell (1997); Homel and Clark (1994); Erenberg and Hacker (1997); Saltz

(1997). 10 Graham and Homel (1997). 11 Single (1988). 12 Saltz (1997). 13 McKnight and Streff (1994). 14 Stockwell (1997). 15 Graham and Homel (1997); Deehan (1999); Marsh and Kibby (1992). 16 Stockwell (1997); Block and Block (1995); Saville (1996). 17 Pernanen (1998). 18 Wells, Graham and West (1998); Graham and Homel (1997); Deehan (1999);

Homel and Clark (1994); Marsh and Kibby (1992). 19 Deehan (1999); Homel and Clark (1994); Marsh and Kibby (1992). 20 Marsh and Kibby (1992); Deehan (1999); Lovatt (1994). 21 Felson et al (1997). 22 Graham and Homel (1997); Deehan (1999). 23 Marsh and Kibby (1992); Graham and Homel (1997); Deehan (1999). 24 Shepherd, Huggert and Kidner (1993); Deehan (1999). 25 Pernanen (1998). 26 Single (1988). 27 Erenberg and Hacker (1997).

References 35

References

Arlington (Texas) Police Department (1997). "Taming the

'Cowboys': Arlington Police Reduce Calls for Service From

Local Nightclub." Problem Solving Quarterly 10(3) (Fall):1-2.

Washington, D.C.: Police Executive Research Forum.

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York: Free Association Books.
About the Author 39

About the Author

Michael S. Scott

Michael S. Scott is an independent police consultant based in

Savannah, Ga. He was formerly chief of police in Lauderhill,

Fla.; served in various civilian administrative positions in the

St. Louis Metropolitan, Ft. Pierce, Fla., and New York City

police departments; and was a police officer in the Madison,

Wis., Police Department. Scott developed training programs

in problem-oriented policing at the Police Executive Research

Forum (PERF), and is a judge for PERF's Herman Goldstein

Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing. He is the

author of Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the First 20

Years, and coauthor (with Rana Sampson) of Tackling Crime

and Other Public-Safety Problems: Case Studies in Problem-Solving.

Scott holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and a

bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Recommended Readings 41

Recommended Readings

• A Police Guide to Surveying Citizens and Their

Environments, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1993. This

guide offers a practical introduction for police practitioners

to two types of surveys that police find useful: surveying

public opinion and surveying the physical environment. It

provides guidance on whether and how to conduct costeffective surveys.

• Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory

Guide for Police Problem-Solvers, by John E. Eck (U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services, 2001). This guide is a companion to the

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series. It provides basic

guidance to measuring and assessing problem-oriented

policing efforts. Available at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

• Conducting Community Surveys, by Deborah Weisel

(Bureau of Justice Statistics and Office of Community

Oriented Policing Services, 1999). This guide, along with

accompanying computer software, provides practical, basic

pointers for police in conducting community surveys. The

document is also available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs.

• Crime Prevention Studies, edited by Ronald V. Clarke

(Criminal Justice Press, 1993, et seq.). This is a series of

volumes of applied and theoretical research on reducing

opportunities for crime. Many chapters are evaluations of

initiatives to reduce specific crime and disorder problems.
42 Assaults in and Around Bars

• Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing: The 1999

Herman Goldstein Award Winners. This document

produced by the National Institute of Justice in

collaboration with the Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services and the Police Executive Research Forum

provides detailed reports of the best submissions to the

annual award program that recognizes exemplary problemoriented responses to various community problems. A

similar publication is available for the award winners from

subsequent years. The documents are also available at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij.

• Not Rocket Science? Problem-Solving and Crime

Reduction, by Tim Read and Nick Tilley (Home Office

Crime Reduction Research Series, 2000). Identifies and

describes the factors that make problem-solving effective or

ineffective as it is being practiced in police forces in

England and Wales.

• Opportunity Makes the Thief: Practical Theory for

Crime Prevention, by Marcus Felson and Ronald V. Clarke

(Home Office Police Research Series, Paper No. 98, 1998).

Explains how crime theories such as routine activity theory,

rational choice theory and crime pattern theory have

practical implications for the police in their efforts to

prevent crime.

• Problem-Oriented Policing, by Herman Goldstein

(McGraw-Hill, 1990, and Temple University Press, 1990).

Explains the principles and methods of problem-oriented

policing, provides examples of it in practice, and discusses

how a police agency can implement the concept. Available

at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Recommended Readings 43

• Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the First 20

Years, by Michael S. Scott (U.S. Department of Justice,

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2000).

Describes how the most critical elements of Herman

Goldstein's problem-oriented policing model have

developed in practice over its 20-year history, and proposes

future directions for problem-oriented policing. The report

is also available at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

• Problem-Solving: Problem-Oriented Policing in Newport

News, by John E. Eck and William Spelman (Police

Executive Research Forum, 1987). Explains the rationale

behind problem-oriented policing and the problem-solving

process, and provides examples of effective problemsolving in one agency.

• Problem-Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing Crime and

Disorder Through Problem-Solving Partnerships, by

Karin Schmerler, Matt Perkins, Scott Phillips, Tammy

Rinehart and Meg Townsend (U.S. Department of Justice,

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 1998)

(also available at www.cops.usdoj.gov). Provides a brief

introduction to problem-solving, basic information on the

SARA model and detailed suggestions about the problemsolving process.

• Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies,

Second Edition, edited by Ronald V. Clarke (Harrow and

Heston, 1997). Explains the principles and methods of

situational crime prevention, and presents over 20 case

studies of effective crime prevention initiatives.
44 Assaults in and Around Bars

• Tackling Crime and Other Public-Safety Problems: Case

Studies in Problem-Solving, by Rana Sampson and

Michael S. Scott (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of

Community Oriented Policing Services, 2000) (also available

at www.cops.usdoj.gov). Presents case studies of effective

police problem-solving on 18 types of crime and disorder

problems.

• Using Analysis for Problem-Solving: A Guidebook for

Law Enforcement, by Timothy S. Bynum (U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services, 2001) (also available at

www.cops.usdoj.gov). Provides an introduction for police to

analyzing problems within the context of problem-oriented

policing.

• Using Research: A Primer for Law Enforcement

Managers, Second Edition, by John E. Eck and Nancy G.

LaVigne (Police Executive Research Forum, 1994). Explains

many of the basics of research as it applies to police

management and problem-solving.
Other Guides in This Series 45

Other Guides in This Series

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series (available at

www.cops.usdoj.gov):

1. Assaults in and Around Bars. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

2. Street Prostitution. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

3. Speeding in Residential Areas. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

4. Drug Dealing in Privately Owned Apartment Complexes.

Rana Sampson. 2001.

5. False Burglar Alarms. Rana Sampson. 2001.

6. Disorderly Youth in Public Places. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

7. Loud Car Stereos. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

8. Robbery at Automated Teller Machines. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

9. Graffiti. Deborah Lamm Weisel. 2002.

10. Thefts of and From Cars in Parking Facilities. Ronald V.

Clarke. 2002.

11. Shoplifting. Ronald V. Clarke. 2002.

12. Bullying in Schools. Rana Sampson. 2002.

13. Panhandling. Michael S. Scott. 2002.

14. Rave Parties. Michael S. Scott. 2002.

15. Burglary of Retail Establishments. Ronald V. Clarke. 2002.

16. Clandestine Drug Labs. Michael S. Scott. 2002.

17. Acquaintance Rape of College Students. Rana Sampson. 2002.

18. Burglary of Single-Family Houses. Deborah Lamm Weisel.

2002.

19. Misuse and Abuse of 911. Rana Sampson. 2002.

Companion guide to the Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series:

• Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory Guide for

Police Problem-Solvers. John E. Eck. 2002.
46 Assaults in and Around Bars

Other Related COPS Office Publications

• Using Analysis for Problem-Solving: A Guidebook for Law

Enforcement. Timothy S. Bynum.

• Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the First 20 Years.

Michael S. Scott. 2001.

• Tackling Crime and Other Public-Safety Problems: Case

Studies in Problem-Solving. Rana Sampson and Michael S. Scott.

2000.

• Community Policing, Community Justice, and Restorative

Justice: Exploring the Links for the Delivery of a Balanced

Approach to Public Safety. Caroline G. Nicholl. 1999.

• Toolbox for Implementing Restorative Justice and Advancing

Community Policing. Caroline G. Nicholl. 2000.

• Problem-Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing Crime and

Disorder Through Problem-Solving Partnerships. Karin

Schmerler, Matt Perkins, Scott Phillips, Tammy Rinehart and

Meg Townsend. 1998.

For more information about the Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series

and other COPS Office publications, please call the Department of

Justice Response Center at 1.800.421.6770 or check our website at

www.cops.usdoj.gov.

www.cops.usdoj.gov

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

1100 Vermont Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20530

To obtain details on COPS programs, call the

U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 1.800.421.6770

Visit the COPS internet web site by the address listed below.

e05021561 Created Date: June 12, 2002