BOSTON -- Bouncers and other security staff at the city's bars and nightclubs would have to undergo training and a background check under a law being considered by the City Council after the slaying of a Boston woman who was last seen alive at a New York City bar.
"Imette's Law," which was the subject of a hearing Monday, is named for Imette St. Guillen, the 24-year-old Boston woman who police say was killed by a bouncer with a long criminal history.
City Council President Michael Flaherty said he began working on the proposed law before St. Guillen was killed, after seeing a pattern of alleged incidents between bars' security and patrons. The Boston Licensing Department received 84 reports of bouncer on customer violence between 2004 and June 2006.
Under the proposed law, all bouncers, doormen and floor staff of the city's bars, clubs and other establishments that serve alcohol would have to undergo a background check looking for violence histories and undergo training on how to prevent problem patrons from entering their businesses and on how to deal with them if they do. A timetable has not been set for a vote on the law.
At the hearing, Flaherty said he hoped the law would help staff "recognize a situation before it spirals out of control" and prevent incidents like the death of St. Guillen.
St. Guillen's body was found in Brooklyn Feb. 25 after she was raped, strangled and suffocated, allegedly by parolee Darryl Littlejohn, who has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
New York City recently instituted a law requiring establishments to prove they are in compliance with state law, which requires security guards to undergo background checks, training and registration.
"Please understand that my family does not wish to see unreasonable burdens imposed on any establishment or individual," St. Guillen's mother, Maureen, wrote in a letter to Flaherty supporting his proposal. "However, the safety of patrons is paramount. Bouncers are there to provide protection, and patrons must be able to put their complete trust in them without having to worry about that the bouncers themselves might be a danger."
James Staples, co-owner of Guest Intervention Strategies, testified Monday that bar and nightclub security face a barrage of possible problems each night, including underage drinkers, overly intoxicated patrons and aggressive customers. His company offers a five-hour, $225 course addressing those issues.
Staples said employees with added training could be less likely to resort to physical violence, because they've learned other tactics. The businesses' owners also could be eligible for insurance discounts after the training.
"We believe without question that there is a need for training all employees," he said in support of the proposal.
Peter Christie, president and chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said he supported training and background checks, but opposed making them mandatory for all businesses.
He said smaller bars could struggle with the cost of training, especially with the frequent turnover in the industry. Many already conduct in-house training.
"The last person in the world that wants to have any problems is the person who owns the club," he said.
Christie also questioned if the bill would be a disproportionate response to the problem. He compared the 84 incidents reported with the hundreds of thousands of bar customers each year.
"I'm not saying it isn't a problem that we all should deal with," he said. "(But) there's an awful lot of people doing it right."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)