Ideally who should run the pubwatch?
Licensee’s should be the officers of the pubwatch and they should be responsible for running the watch as it is about the standards they wish to maintain in relation to the use of their premises. In addition as a voluntary body of this nature they avoid some of the Human Rights Act obligations that would be applicable to their activities if the police, local authority or other statutory body held the responsibility for operating the scheme. This does not however preclude the pubwatch from working in co-operation and with the support of the Police, Local Authority or other Statutory Body. Quite the opposite, as to function effectively, the watch will need help and support from these agencies who also have a legal duty to work in partnership with others such as pubwatch to tackle crime and disorder issues. It is important that this involvement does not include participation in the decision making of the watch but can include the provision of information and advice.
