Downtown bars in Saskatoon not altering security measures after Hudsons shooting

A shooting earlier this week in downtown Saskatoon is raising concern from fellow bar owners in Saskatoon’s core.

While watering holes review security measures, Crazy Cactus owner Blue Clegg is unsure of how to deal with rare cases when a patron is concealing a weapon.

“You have security right at the door, and you get (patrons) right at the door,” Clegg said of his security protocols. “It’s a tricky thing — none of my security personnel are trained in weapons combat, that’s for sure.”

Chris Beavis, co-owner of Winston’s English Pub and Grill at the Hotel Senator, shared Clegg’s sentiment of helplessness if someone brings a weapon with intentions of harming someone.

“In this day and age, I think it needs to be a part of any business plan anywhere really is security and safety for your business, your property and your employees,” he said.

Beavis pointed to larger social issues contributing to violence and crime like mental health and addictions that stretch far beyond the downtown core.

“You really have to be on the ball when it comes to that kind of thing,” Beavis said, adding that co-operation from businesses, the city and police is needed to look at preventative measures that take care of more than just personal property.

With roughly 40 years of experience in the industry, Beavis said there’s no shortage of close calls and violent stories of confrontations between patrons and staff where outcomes could have been much worse.

Beavis is a member of a downtown safety committee, adding the group is “actively working on a bunch of initiatives right now,” yet he feels the efforts aren’t yielding much results.

“Some of the centralized services that we have downtown don’t do us any favours, I don’t think, and I don’t think it helps anybody either,” he said without mentioning any organizations specifically.

Crazy Cactus isn’t new to violence or crime taking place on or near the property.

Last week a man across the street on 20th Street North and Second Avenue was chased by a man with a hatchet.

Clegg said his bar was broken into Wednesday night as the most recent example of what has become a common occurrence.

Every one of the six panes of glass on the exterior of Crazy Cactus has had to be replaced at least once, with three of the panes having to be replaced twice since the bar moved from the Exhibition area to downtown in 2016.

“It’s always a little bit jarring to the system,” Clegg said.

While Beavis wouldn’t go as far as planning to install metal detectors at Winston’s now or in the future, Clegg feels it’s just a matter of time before Saskatoon residents encounter them on a night out.

“That’s the way it should be going, just as a precautionary method. If you’re going to be a nightclub or happening place, you probably look at doing something like that,” he said.