A Dalston bar has ramped up security measures following a recent surge in reports of spiking incidents across the UK.
The manager of the Dalston Jazz Bar, Duke Uibel, said the allegations of needle spiking have “definitely changed how we carry out our business – making safety a top priority”.
The venue has put in place stronger security outside the venue on club nights and has started more rigorous bag searches, said Uibel. ‘Ask for Angela’ posters have also been displayed that allow customers to use the code-phrase to discreetly approach staff for help should they feel unsafe or threatened.
The club also intends to introduce entrance fees in the hope of discouraging outsiders from ‘scoping out’ the venue.
Online activists are campaigning for the use of drink testing kits, with one petition having over 15,000 signatures. Uibel agrees that this is “certainly an effective way of ensuring safety”, but believes that the testing kits are too expensive. “After the pandemic, clubs do not have the financial security to carry out drink testing by themselves… Government subsidies are necessary”, the bar manager added.
Guus Braak, assistant manager at The Victoria, Dalston, says the increased reports of spiking in the UK has led them to “brief staff and security to be even more cautious of what’s happening inside our venue, and to undertake actions whenever they feel something isn’t right”. The venue is also looking to introduce online training specific to spiking.
In accordance with the ‘Girls Night In’ boycotts, many women are currently boycotting venues to demand further action against spiking. Braak says “it is frustrating that these kinds of initiatives are necessary, but I fully support it. I’d like people to know that we take the safety of our punters extremely seriously and do our very best to create a safe and comfortable environment for everyone.”
