New effort aims to keep gangs out of Vancouver restaurants

Restaurant owners are teaming up with police to keep suspected gangsters out of their premises, following gang violencein Vancouver's restaurants, with the latestincident taking place earlier this month.

Participating members of the Restaurant Watch program will display large decals to showthattheystrive tomaintain safety for diners,Vancouver police said.

Owners and staff of local restaurants have pledged tocall police if they feel a customer fits the description ofa gang member, gang associate, drug trafficker or someone with a propensity for violence.

Officers will arrive and attemptto determine if the patron has any history of criminal activity or violence, Supt. Warren Lemcke said. If so, he or she will be asked to leave, he said.

A man was shot dead outside an East Vancouver Vietnamese restaurant on July 5 after two groups of people got into an argument inside. Police said at the time thatthe shooting was likely linked to criminal activity.

In May, a man was shot dead and another injured after afight erupted between two groups of men in the pub at the Cecil Hotel.

In January, two men were shot dead outsidethe Gotham Steakhouseand Cocktail Bar, which is now aRestaurant Watch member. Police said at the time it was a targeted shooting.No suspects have been identified and theinvestigation continues.

The Restaurant Watch program will give police more eyes and ears and ensure the public has a safe and enjoyable dining experience, Lemcke said.

"We're not going to tolerate violence from these criminals. They're not welcome in the city of Vancouver," Lemcke said.

Forty restaurants have signed up for the program and more are expected to join themin coming months, said Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association.

"We think it's going to be a tremendously effective program in three areas. The deterrent aspect to the criminal element, a much safer environment for the staff of restaurants, and also the general public," he said.

Tostenson said his members aren't worried about retribution if suspected gangsters are kicked out of their restaurants.

"We've discussed that and the conclusion is it's probably not in the gangsters' best interest to go down that road. They're not looking for that kind of trouble, so we've been told," he said.

Uniformed and plainclothes officers will also conduct random checks at participating restaurants on a regular basis.

Julia Doty, a spokeswoman for Pinkys Steakhouse, said their 30 staff members will be briefed on the new program, but they expect police to deal with any unwanted guests.

Police and bar owners in Vancouver's downtown entertainment district launched a similar program the Bar Watch in February to promote safety in bars and clubs. Police said the program has been successful in curbing violence in these establishments.

Bar Watch clubs have given police the authority to enter their establishments uninvited and escort known gangsters from their premises.