Volunteer nightlife safety team to patrol Vancouver's Granville Street

Since the late 1990s, Vancouver's Granville Entertainment District has been known for its nightlife.

Now, advocacy group Good Night Out Vancouver is launching a Nightlife Street Team tomake thearea's bar scene safer. It's the group's latestanti-harassment campaigntostop behaviours that lead to sexual harassment.

Starting this weekend, the volunteer team will offer support to any bar-goers on the Granvillestrip thatfeelunsafe, scared or needgeneral assistance.

"Good Night Out's mandate is to prioritize the safety of anyone who identifies as a woman or as a femme and also the queer community," said Vancouver chapter co-founder Stacey Forrester.

"We also know that there are other people who experience safety in other ways, and we're there to help anyone who needs it."

TheNightlife Street Team aims to improvethe sense of security on GranvilleStreet. The team will focus on maintaining a visible presenceon Friday and Saturday nights by working closely with licensed venues, security staff, police and business owners.

Members have been trained in first aid as well asnon-violent crisis intervention to help with non-emergency and non-criminal activities.

Forrester said the services offered by the team range fromwaiting with someone for a late bus tocharging depleted cell phones usingportable chargers carried by team members.

'Tend to be hotspots'

Forrester said the Nightlife team was createdto proactively make what she calls a vibrant and thriving entertainment district that much safer.

"Urban nightlife industries tend to be hotspots for behaviours that make women and some members of the queer community uncomfortable," said Forrester.

Bar-goers on the Granville strip feeling uncomfortableisn't a new thing.

Since the Entertainment District was conceived by Vancouver city council as a location where bars can stay open later than others, the number of police incidents haverisen year-over-year and continues to be a problem.

Forrester hopes her team can make a difference.

For their first mission, the Nightlife team will patrol the stripfrom 12:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., wearing a "very noticeable" peach colour uniform, with Good Night Out's logo emblazoned on the back.

With files from Bridgette Watson