Tabs kept on pubs

Aug 12 2008 by Jenny Wood, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

COPS will be turning ‘inn keepers’ to keep tabs on troublesome boozers across the county.

Tayside Police is to become the first force in Scotland to adopt an innovative computer system called ‘Inn Keeper’ to help tackle the problem of alcohol-fuelled violence.

Chief Inspector Lorna Robbie of Tayside Police explained: “The Innkeeper licensing system has allowed staff within Tayside Police to record information in a more systematic way, easing the retrieval of information in relation to all aspects of licensing.”

This means that as well as assisting police officers with new licensing applications from pubs, clubs and other businesses, ‘Inn Keeper’ will also help officers identify problem premises and patterns of disorder much more quickly.

All information related to more than 2000 licensed premises in the Tayside region – including incidents of alcohol-related violence and disorder, visits by police, and other breaches of licensing conditions – is recorded on ‘Inn Keeper’.

The system goes live as the new Licensing (Scotland) Bill is phased in.