[WAM!Van] For Immediate Release Good Night Out Vancouver Launches Nightlife Street Team to Support Patron Safety on Granville St.

[Stacey Forrester]

*Good Night Out Vancouver Launches Nightlife Street Team to Support Patron
Safety on Granville St.*



*Proactive approach taken for a first of its kind program in Canada*



VANCOUVER, BC / September 6, 2017—Good Night Out (GNO) Vancouver today
announced the launch of a Nightlife Street Team pilot project, a first of
its kind program designed to positively impact nightlife within the
Granville Entertainment District.



Beginning Friday, September 8th, the Nightlife Street Team will offer a
proactive approach to help increase the sense of safety of participating in
the nightlife economy on Granville St. The Street Team is made up of four
individuals who will maintain a visible presence along Granville St. on
Friday and Saturday nights from midnight until 3:00AM, engage with patrons
in the public realm, and support vulnerable patrons during peak hours.



The Team will work in close collaboration with licensed venues, security
staff, and business owners to prioritize all patrons and public safety and
has consulted with the Vancouver Police Department.



The Nightlife Street Team is comprised of highly skilled members who have
non-violent crisis intervention and/or conflict resolution skills. They
will provide a number of proactive services, including:



·       assisting vulnerable patrons to access public transit or taxis;

·       liaising with licensed establishments to help ensure the safety of
vulnerable patrons during closing egress;

·       alerting the VPD as needed to witnessed activity on the street; and

·       helping patrons charge phones for safety reasons.





GNO’s mandate is to increase patron safety in nightlife all over Vancouver,
especially the safety of women and the LGBT2Q community. GNO was founded
out of an awareness there are certain factors present in urban nightlife
that can contribute to these populations feeing unsafe. Research shows that
peer based programs, and the presence of trained bystanders on the streets
can help increase peoples’ sense of safety while out and interrupt
behaviours that lead to some community members feeling unsafe.



The GNO Nightlife Street Team is a proactive approach to increasing patron
and public safety within the Granville Entertainment District. This pilot
project is made possible with funding from the Downtown Vancouver Business
Improvement Association (DVBIA) and BarWatch.



*About Good Night Out Vancouver*



Adapted from the campaign in London, Good Night Out Vancouver launched in
2015 and is coordinated by Stacey Forrester *and Ashtyn Bevan*. Good Night
Out is an independent team of regional organizers passionate about making
nights out safer for all. We work in partnership with councils, music
festivals, licensing teams, women’s groups and charities across the globe
to deliver training, consultation and support. Our work in Vancouver has
been featured on Global News
<http://globalnews.ca/news/2037791/good-night-out-campaign-comes-to-vancouver/>,
City TV, The Vancouver Observer, The Province, CBC
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/campaign-aims-to-make-vancouver-nightlife-safer-for-women-1.3129978>
and other local
<http://www.straight.com/news/857066/good-night-out-vancouver-seeks-donations-bring-date-rape-drug-detecting-coasters-bars>
and
international
<https://www.buzzfeed.com/amandascriver/bartenders-against-sexual-harassment?utm_term=.ow0Qpnpk9B#.wr3X707lyw>
media.



*Media Contact:*

Stacey Forrester, Good Night Out

Stacey.Forrester at gmail.com



William Johnson | Communications Manager
Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA)
604.685.7811 x204 <%28604%29%20685-7811>


-- 
*Stacey Forrester*
Good Night Out <https://www.facebook.com/goodnightoutvancouver/?fref=ts> &
Hollaback! <http://vancouver.ihollaback.org/>
staceymarie.net
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