Watching and being

Watched

Ilse van Liempt

Utrecht University – Urban Geograpyi.c.vanliempt@uu.nl

Bouncers’ surveillance practices in a controlled work environment

Surveillance in Urban Nightscapes

Utrecht RotterdamGroningen

Bouncers are very visible surveillors in nightlife districts

but they are also controlledand disciplined by various actors of

the surveillance network

2 The nightclub as workspace

1 Regulatory framework

Outline

3 Fieldwork in Utrecht, the Netherlands 13 bouncers interviewed (2 female)observations

The regulatory framework in NL

• Since 1999 bouncers need to be registered, formally trained and employed by a security company

• Background: incidents with violent bouncers, alleged involvement of criminal organisations

• Safe Nightlife Policies designed around collaborations between all sorts of actors also required transparency and decriminalization

‘In the old days people worked the door at the basis of reputation.

That is no longer the case. Anybody who has the right papers can

now work the door. I don’t want to judge, but look in the old days

you might have had assholes working the door, but they were not

bullied and messed around like what happens sometimes today,

you know with young security workers who do not know how to

deal with the violence’.

(Male bouncer 45, Dutch).

The nightclub as work space

• Violence & anti-social behaviour

• Alcohol and drug fuelled spaces

• Bouncers need to remain calm and are only allowed to use ‘appropriate’ levels of force

• Visitors have become more outspoken over the years and make complaints more often

Bouncers are controlled in various ways at their workspace

Rules of behaviour

- Active bouncing: no smoking, no text messages

Levels of control

- Instructions by the manager before night starts

- Solo actions are not always allowed

- CCTV

‘I really get the feeling that they see bouncers as some kind of

nitwits who they have to guide and watch constantly. With some

people they have a point, but most of the time it is not fair. I think it

would work much better if they would give us more freedom. It is

very uncomfortable to work in a place where you are constantly

watched’.

(Male bouncer, 19, Dutch)

Conclusion

• The regulation of door staff may reduce some degree of violence but it is also a narrow response that does not fully grasp the context in which bouncers work

• Bouncers are watched by other actors involved in Safe Nightlife

• The levels of control by managers and the interaction with other actors differ considerably from club to club