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A matter of compliance

RCMP, local bars differ on enforcement of new liquor regulations For the RCMP, regular foot patrols through the village and local drinking establishments are business as usual for the detachment.

RCMP, local bars differ on enforcement of new liquor regulations

For the RCMP, regular foot patrols through the village and local drinking establishments are business as usual for the detachment. The only thing that has changed, according to Staff Sergeant Hilton Haider, are the liquor laws that they are enforcing.

Some places are taking longer to get up to speed than others, he says.

"A lot of our bars were compliant right away, with a few hiccups here and there. Some were non-compliant even before the new regulations came into effect, and that has kind of continued afterwards."

According to a number of local bars, however, there is a perception that the level of enforcement has been excessive recently, and that the RCMP members are not being respectful of customers and staff members.

The most common RCMP complaints recently have to do with checking for two pieces of I.D., exceeding capacity, over serving, and minors in licensed premises. There have also been issues with customers bringing alcohol into bars and restaurants, or taking it out.

One of the most significant of the new liquor license regulations that came into effect Dec. 2, 2002 was a stipulation that license holders were required to check the identification of any patron who appears to be under 25, and two pieces of I.D. are required. In the past, licensees only had to check if a patron appeared to be younger than 19, and only one piece of government-issued photo I.D. was needed.

The Liquor Control and Licensing Branch recently sent undercover personnel under the age of 25 around Whistler to test compliance, and discovered that only 15 per cent of establishments – four out of 30 – asked for two pieces of I.D. That was slightly better than the provincial average of just 12 per cent compliance, but still low, says Haider.

Like doormen, he says RCMP on foot patrols may ask patrons already inside bars and restaurants for two pieces of I.D. if they appear to be under the age of 25. If they only have one piece of I.D., an establishment is issued a contravention and fined.

"That’s something we’ve always done in the past, and that’s how we still find underage kids in the bars here," Haider says.

Before the new regulations came into effect, the RCMP and Liquor Inspector offered to set up meetings with all the bars to talk about the changes to the laws, as well as protect themselves from liability under the new system. They also informed establishments that staff would require Serving It Right certificates in the future.

"Some bars came to us, and sometimes we went to them. Nobody should have been surprised by the news laws, because they had months to get up to speed. Some establishments haven’t participated at all in this process, by their own choice. Those are the same places that are having the most trouble right now," says Haider.

The Whistler RCMP are not targeting any local establishments specifically, and the number of foot patrols is consistent with past years, Haider maintains.

Foot patrols in the village are bolstered by between four and six additional officers from the Lower Mainland on Saturday nights and long weekends, and patrols start in earnest around 9 p.m. and run until around 3 a.m.

The patrols usually consist of two members, and they regularly visit establishments as part of their patrols. Once inside, enforcement of the liquor laws is just one of their goals.

The primary reason, says Haider, is to have a strong presence – reminding would-be troublemakers that there are police in this resort town, and reassuring visitors that their safety is being looked after.

Another reason is to investigate incidents that take place in the village and look for suspects for various infractions.

To resolve any issues between bar management and the RCMP, Constable Johanne Noel helped to launch a bar liaison program that pairs local detachment members with different bars and clubs. The role of the liaison is to answer any questions that the managers might have, and to work with them to resolve any issues.

"If a bar is having problems with anything, or doesn’t understand a regulation, we are there to advise them and try to work it out," says Noel. "Part of our duty is to walk through the bars. I think most of the patrons are glad to see us, but not all of the bars are yet.

"The regulations are still new here so there is an adjustment period, but already things are getting better. If bars comply then we have no problems. The level of compliance usually reflects the management, and some are easier to work with than others."

For their part, several bars and nightclubs are complaining that the RCMP are out of control in handing out contraventions. Several were issued notices of contravention for not checking two pieces of I.D. and overcrowding recently.

According to one bar manager, there are more patrols in his establishment than in the past, and the officers are rude to staff members and customers.

"It almost seems as though they are walking around trying to catch us the one time out of hundreds when something may slip through the cracks," he said.

"We as a business must obey the rules which govern us… we not only acknowledge this but we need it, so there should be no question about our intent. We are not out to sneak one past the police and they need to stop treating us like we are trying to."

Other establishments say they have no problem with the foot patrols or the new regulations, and feel that the police presence helps to control customers and keep the number of incidents in the village down.

The local Food and Beverage Association holds regular meetings to discuss these kinds issues, and Haider would like to have an RCMP representative at every meeting in order to address concerns and complaints head-on.

"We are going to be in the village every night doing our job, and some establishments have to accept that. They don’t get to choose what regulations to follow.

"The liquor inspector for Whistler is very proactive. She’s not enforcement oriented, she’s education oriented and would be happy to discuss any issues with the bars. The deal is that everybody in the province has to play by the same rules, including the RCMP. This is not just a Whistler thing," says Haider.