With students back at their universities, ready for another school year, business is likely to pick up quickly for local bars and nightclubs.While college students should have a good time, it’s important that safety is also on the top of their minds.One UVM student spoke to NBC5, sharing that she and her roommate each got “birdie whistles,” so if they’re ever in trouble, they can pull on them.Collin Hillard, Burlington Business Association, works closely with the downtown bars.He makes sure those establishments are prepared for the lively crowds.“Many restaurants and bars have safety protocols already in place,” Hillard said. “Their bouncers are trained. They’ve been through this stuff before.”Burlington Police Department also said they’re on standby to assist in any way they can.Deputy Chief Wade Lebrecque said even though they’ve seen staffing shortages over the last few years, the number of downtown on-site officers for Friday and Saturday nights hasn’t changed.They know just how important their presence is.“Normally, on a Friday night, we’ll have anywhere from 8-10 officers and Saturday night around 6,” Lebrecque said. “As the midnight team comes on, that actually bumps up the number a little bit.”While they’re here to help, they want people to be cautious of a few things while inside the bars.”Keep your eye on your drink,” Lebrecquesaid. “Don’t accept drinks from somebody you don’t know. If you see somebody that’s intoxicated, and a couple people are trying to get him to leave the bar and it looks wrong, say something to the bar staff. Being aware of your surroundings is the best thing you can do.”At UVM, some students have a campus safety app downloaded called “CATsafe.”It’s designed where you can choose certain people to know your location, so they know when you’ve walked back home safely from a night out. Burlington Police Department said they meet monthly with the local universities to discuss updated safety strategies and procedures.
With students back at their universities, ready for another school year, business is likely to pick up quickly for local bars and nightclubs.
While college students should have a good time, it’s important that safety is also on the top of their minds.
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One UVM student spoke to NBC5, sharing that she and her roommate each got “birdie whistles,” so if they’re ever in trouble, they can pull on them.
Collin Hillard, Burlington Business Association, works closely with the downtown bars.
He makes sure those establishments are prepared for the lively crowds.
“Many restaurants and bars have safety protocols already in place,” Hillard said. “Their bouncers are trained. They’ve been through this stuff before.”
Burlington Police Department also said they’re on standby to assist in any way they can.
Deputy Chief Wade Lebrecque said even though they’ve seen staffing shortages over the last few years, the number of downtown on-site officers for Friday and Saturday nights hasn’t changed.
They know just how important their presence is.
“Normally, on a Friday night, we’ll have anywhere from 8-10 officers and Saturday night around 6,” Lebrecque said. “As the midnight team comes on, that actually bumps up the number a little bit.”
While they’re here to help, they want people to be cautious of a few things while inside the bars.
“Keep your eye on your drink,” Lebrecquesaid. “Don’t accept drinks from somebody you don’t know. If you see somebody that’s intoxicated, and a couple people are trying to get him to leave the bar and it looks wrong, say something to the bar staff. Being aware of your surroundings is the best thing you can do.”
At UVM, some students have a campus safety app downloaded called “CATsafe.”
It’s designed where you can choose certain people to know your location, so they know when you’ve walked back home safely from a night out.
Burlington Police Department said they meet monthly with the local universities to discuss updated safety strategies and procedures.
