Landlords come together to tackle bad behaviour with app
Badly behaved punters are in for a rude awakening if they step out of line in any of Walsall town centre's pubs.
The Walsall Pubwatch group, consisting of owners and managers at the towns most popular nightlife spots, have joined forces to create an app that allows them to interact with each other and keep on top of any criminal behaviour.
The app, which is now being sold across the country, allows information about troublemakers to be passed around quickly, so if somebody creates a problem at one site, landlords across the town centre will soon know and can make a decision as to whether they will be allowed back in.
Daniel Morris, chairman of Walsall Pubwatch, said: "Walsall Pubwatch is a scheme set up with the aim to reduce crime and disorder in pubs and clubs.
"Supported by the police, it is a national initiative, which has proven to reduce violence and other types of criminal acts such as vandalism.
"The scheme works by creating links between Walsall licensees and Local Authorities and allowing information to be passed quickly between each other, such as the identity of troublemakers.
"It also provides a forum where licensees can share problems and solutions.
"We have brought it together and are now looking to sell it to other Pubwatch groups around the country.
"It takes the banned from one, banned from all phrase to a new level."
This isn't the only step taken to tackle problem drinkers in Walsall.
Last year, the Express & Star reported that street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Walsall town centre has forced police officers to try and introduce a public space protection order to cover the area.
Previously, there was only one similar order in force, which gives police powers to criminalise behaviour that is not normally criminal in a particular area, across the borough.
The first was brought into force across the Beechdale estate back in May 2016 as community leaders claimed they needed to 'look at something that hasn't been done before to tackle anti social behaviour in the area.
Neighbourhood officers from the St Matthews police team got the order put in place by the end of ;ast year to cover Walsall town centre.
