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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have phoned the police?

46 replies

MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 15:55

At work last night. I work in a bar. Bank holiday weekend plus a day of sunny weather brings out all the fuckwits.

A big group (about 30 guys) came into the pub, but in smaller groups, so it was only after they'd got served we realised they were all together. Hard to explain exactly, but really really bad vibes off the lot of them. Atmosphere in the place totally changed and you could tell they were basically looking for trouble. Going to the toilet in 3s and taking ages. Obviously doing coke

We have no security staff, and I was the person in charge of the shift. I was worried about refusing them service or asking them to leave because that would have been exactly the sort of trigger that they would need to kick off. And there were 30 of them. We have a panic button which at this point I was carrying on my person, but nothing had actually happened yet so couldn't really use it.

So I decided to phone 101. I explained exactly what was going on and said that I was nervous about refusing them but that nothing had actually happened yet. Police showed after about 10 mins, just as a few of the guys had been refused for being drunk and were starting to kick off a bit. Nothing major bout lots of 'that's fucking ridiculous!' Etc. And they were refusing to leave the premises.

When police showed the guys totally disappeared. They spoke to me, I said they had now gone, they took some details (and they actually praised me for calling them as a preventative rather than once something happened) and went on their way. Night wasn't ruined for other patrons, people barely noticed anything had happened. Which I like to think was because of the police turning up. It was about to turn really nasty IMO.

But I know that my manager is going to be a bit eye-rolling at the fact I called the police. He's going to think I over reacted because he's kinda old school that you deal with things yourself in the pub and police are a total last resort. WIBU to have phoned them? I really do think that they guys would have caused trouble if it wasn't for the police turning up, but they might have been just about to leave anyway.

OP posts:

Catsize · 20/04/2014 16:51

You sound like my kind of employee, well done OP!

Catsize · 20/04/2014 16:52

zzzzzz, hope the dishwasher was unharmed.

FastWindow · 20/04/2014 16:55

I would have expected your manager to be there himself on a bank holiday weekend shift, tbh. Especially if you are still in training. If he isn't there, then you do it your way, and protect your staff and customers above all.

Long time licensee here.

zzzzz · 20/04/2014 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Finola1step · 20/04/2014 17:00

You did the right thing. Wrt to your boss, be straight up. A large group of fellas were in, dodgy atmosphere. Other drinkers uncomfortable, starting to leave. Tell him that the last thing you would want is problems with the license due to the possibility of Class As on the premises.

You can't change what your boss is going to think but you can present it in a way that would make it very difficult for him to complain about. Any publican / bar manager worth their salt will want to protect their license at all costs I would have thought.

nolongerbumpieorlumpie · 20/04/2014 17:06

i think you did the right thing! I would much prefer to go to a pub and would be more inclined to go back if the staff acted preventativly and read the room than someone getting hurt or a rep for the place being 'where trouble' happens.

Well done, stand up for your decision and actions.

VivaLeBeaver · 20/04/2014 17:06

Being proactive like this will mean your pub gets a good reputation with the local police which can be good if something does kick off, people are caught doing drugs, etc. if the police think pub staff are turning a blind eye to drug taking they wouldn't be impressed.

Original poster

MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 17:17

The fact that manager should be working is very true. But he decided to take the whole weekend off and isn't back till Tuesday...

OP posts:

PigletJohn · 20/04/2014 17:34

Don't you have Pubwatch in your town?

Round here, tenanted and managed bars often have Pubwatch membership as a condition; and the Pubwatch round here expel members who miss three consecutive meetings. The police would always prefer to be called when there is not a problem, rather than not be called when there is.

You say you were in charge of the shift, so presumably authorised to deputise for the DPS, is that right? So it is your duty to call the police if you suspect illegal activity.

If the manager is the DPS, he remains responsible for what happens on the premises, even when he is not present.

SilveryMary · 20/04/2014 17:39

It sounds like you timed it just right. They had started to cause trouble as the police arrived. You merely anticipated the trouble.

Original poster

MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 17:47

We have pub watch which we are a member of, I'm the only one that bothers to go to meetings though. I find them useful so will go along even if I'm meant to be off.

Yes I'm trained assistant manager so was technically duty manager at that time.

OP posts:

TillyTellTale · 20/04/2014 17:51

Timed it just right, I think. You got their money for a while, and called the police before they started causing damage, or causing an incident which would have affected the bar's reputation.

Best of both worls, surely? Cokeheads' money, without the usual downsides of having 30 cokeheads on the premises! And the police will be assured that you don't tolerate class A drugs, which is also good.

JohnnyBarthes · 20/04/2014 17:59

YANBU. It was going to kick off, and even if it didn't you'd have a whole bunch of proper punters who'd have been put off returning (and told their friends).

Most pubs are operating on very tight margins these days and cannot afford for a bunch of coked up knobheads to scare off their regular trade.

JohnnyBarthes · 20/04/2014 18:04

Your boss should not be taking the entire Easter break off btw - bank holiday weekends are (or at least were - it's been almost a decade since I worked in catering) exactly when things go horribly wrong. I imagine he's not the proprietor - his bosses will be less than impressed with him. Brownie points to you, though :)

IAmNotAMindReader · 20/04/2014 20:22

Ask your boss would he rather the place got done for allowing illegal drugs to be taken on the premises as there was clear evidence of it.

30 coke heads is an accident looking for somewhere to happen.

Original poster

MsMarvel · 26/04/2014 12:18

An update to let you know I got exactly the reaction I expected from my manager.

Not specifically saying I shouldn't have, but some 'confused' questions as to what actually happened. E g 'so you actually phoned the police?' 'What prompted you to do that?' 'Had anything actually happened'

Plus my favourite 'did you speak to them first to let them know you knew they were doing drugs?' I actually burst out laughing at that one and said no. Did he actually expect me to go up to a group of 30 coke heads and tell them I know they are on coke?? How did he actually think that was going to go??

OP posts:

nolongerbumpieorlumpie · 26/04/2014 12:25

Great update!

Has his reaction changed your views? I don't think it should, you did the right thing!

Original poster

MsMarvel · 26/04/2014 12:45

It doesn't change my opinion no, just backs up the support I was expecting.

It's also made me a lot less likely to do favours for my manager. Feel a bit jaded about it all tbh.

OP posts:

Nanny0gg · 26/04/2014 13:17

Who was the actual licensee on the premises?

I thought you had to have someone at all times? Are you getting your license?

Original poster

MsMarvel · 26/04/2014 13:32

I have a personal license but my manager is the licensee, as in the premises license is in his name.

OP posts:

Xihha · 26/04/2014 14:07

I've worked for a few landlords who didn't react well to the police being called, even though I often worked shifts on my own, I even had a brilliant landlord who went round the local dickheads that were on pubwatch's list of trouble makers and barred from every pub in town telling them we would still serve them.

I've found the trick with Landlords and managers like that is too tell them that if they can match the police response time then I'm perfectly happy to call them in next time there's an incident rather than the police and then they can come and deal with, I have been known to call one particularly ineffectual manager on to help whilst I knew he was out on a date, strangely he never questioned my decisions after that.

As for 'did you speak to them first to let them know you knew they were doing drugs?' Generally in my experience that conversation goes 'no we're not' and then they suddenly finish their drink and fuck off to somewhere that the staff aren't watching them, unless they are already off their tits, then your fucked coz it only takes 1 to be a dickhead and their mates will jump in, I've chucked small groups of coked up dickheads like that but I wouldn't fancy trying it with a group of 30.

Oh and rather than pine floor cleaner, vaseline on the surfaces is quite fun as the coke just melts into it and disappears before their eyes and it doesn't smell so often people don't notice till they've lost a line, cooking oil works quite well too. We used to use WD40 but a policeman said that using potentially harmful substances isn't recommended in case it inadvertently harms someone (I did point out that'd be their own fault for doing drugs but apparently that's not the attitude.)

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