The Portrait Bar in Birmingham reopens: Public weighs in on venue responsibility
A shooting last month led to the suspension of The Portrait Bar's license. Birmingham City Council have now lifted this under conditions agreed by the venue and Police. I'm in Birmingham to find out whether people think venues should be culpable for the actions of their patrons.
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00:00 I think venues need to take complete responsibility.
00:04 There's no reason they can't search everyone coming in.
00:07 There's no reason they can't be mindful.
00:10 I mean, they're profit-led, that's their reason to be.
00:14 But they need to, you know, not all security staff are whiter than whites.
00:17 They need to make sure they've got staff they can trust.
00:20 They need to make sure they know what's coming in and going out.
00:23 And they need to make sure they know their clientele.
00:24 I think they're 100% responsible.
00:28 Right, so when it comes to venue owners and them being responsible for shootings,
00:32 I think that sometimes things are out of your control.
00:34 Do you know what I mean?
00:35 As I've known people personally who've been injured
00:38 and been in situations with their nightclubs and parties,
00:41 it's hard to try and control everyone.
00:43 I think that sometimes the venue owners have a part to play in it,
00:46 but sometimes as well it's the public and, you know,
00:48 it's the industry that you're in.
00:50 If you're in a night-time industry, as in a restaurant,
00:53 as in nightclub, as in a bar,
00:56 you have a responsibility that people are going to be on drugs,
00:58 people are going to be drinking.
01:00 So mix that with violence.
01:01 There will be a sense of violence within that.
01:03 So I do see that it's not really just the venue owners.
01:06 It's also, you know, just the public being aware as well,
01:10 just the security being aware, having more cameras,
01:12 having more people be aware of the situations, you know, having...
01:16 I think, you know, with nightclubs and stuff, it is a bit hard to do it,
01:19 especially if someone wants to come in and shoot someone.
01:21 I think that that is uncontrollable.
01:23 It can be avoided, but it's not...
01:25 It can be avoided, but I don't think it's uncontrollable 100%.
01:29 So I don't really blame the venue owners as such.
01:32 I think they have a part to play, but I don't blame them as such.
01:35 So my opinion, that's a quite hard one.
01:37 I think no, because it's not their fault
01:42 if someone brings, like, a firearm or if not,
01:49 anything that, like, a knife or anything
01:54 to harm other people,
01:56 because they might have checked people to see if they have something,
02:01 but people right now might really trick it.
02:04 I think these things like security, that should be a bit more...
02:07 It shouldn't have been... Not closed as so,
02:10 but, like, security should have been more upped.
02:12 Like, with what happened in Digworth with the stabbing,
02:14 it's like a club or whatever.
02:16 But I think they just upped security and these metal detectors
02:19 just to make things safer and to make people feel safer going in.
02:23 I do agree on that.
02:24 It should be more safe with security and stuff,
02:26 because loads of people go there drunk or whatever.
02:28 They maybe have bad intentions.
02:30 Instead of just giving a quick tap down,
02:32 maybe we should have a little method to see what they actually have on them,
02:35 rather than just if they've taken alcohol or drunk.
02:37 Two people suffered injuries following the shooting
02:41 that took place on December 18th inside the Portrait Bar.
02:44 They issued a statement that they would actively support
02:47 the police investigation and have since agreed on conditions
02:51 for reopening.
02:52 Those wishing to go to the venue may now have to present ID
02:56 and face a metal detection search
02:58 to ensure a safe environment for all who attend.
03:01 for all who attend.
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