The aims of the event are to promote the importance of safer restraint and reduce any possible violence during the festive season.

The initiative marks the Hatfield leg of a campaign to improve students’ safety during the Christmas partying season. The SIA team shared a poster and leaflets on Safer Physical Intervention for Door Supervisors at the campus’ student bar. It features guidance and illustrations of best practice for safer restraint. This is intended as a quick reminder for Door Supervision licence holders and relates to the training they received in physical intervention.

Kevin Young, the SIA’s Regional Investigations Manager, South Region, says that the initiative is a positive way to promote safer working practices at venues that are likely to encounter violence.

“We want Hatfield’s students and young people to have a great night out and go home this Christmas unharmed. It also ensures the safety of the licensed door supervisors who work at these venues, the majority of whom do a very good job in challenging circumstances.”

The initiative is supported by Hertfordshire Constabulary and the University of Hertfordshire.

In addition the campaign seeks to persuade businesses and door supervisors in Hatfield’s night time economy to report incidents to the police so that the SIA can get an accurate picture of the level of violence that takes place against students and door supervisors.

At this heightened time of the year occasionally there are cases of reported incidents that are sometimes false. Bradzone security company door supervisors are equipped with body-warn video that records any incidents that take place; the material can be used as evidence if required.

The National Crime Statistics reveals that victims of assault are usually male (2.1% compared with 1.3% of women) and they account for a larger proportion of victims of violence with injuries sustained by people aged between 16 and 24 (53% compared with women at 47%). Incidents of violence increase when alcohol is involved.