Columbia bar continues partnership with national organization, trains staff to de-escalate dangerous situations
Alison Patton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Willie’s/Fieldhouse bar in downtown Columbia held its annual staff training on Sunday with SAFE Bar Network on how to recognize and de-escalate situations that could potentially turn dangerous.
“We focus on skills to recognize uncomfortable and unsafe behavior, interrupt in a way that’s effective and de-escalate and then provide each other support,” SAFE Bar Network Executive Director Haleigh Harrold said.
The national organization works closely with Willie’s/Fieldhouse to train bar staff twice a year. Willies is the only downtown bar that receives training through the SAFE Bar Network.
The training came three weeks after a deadly downtown shooting killed Stephens College student Aiyanna Williams and injured two others. Since then, University of Missouri and city leaders have been cracking down on crime downtown.
Willie’s/Fieldhouse server Shelby Truitt said reducing crime in Columbia starts inside the bar, and includes being mindful of overconsumption of alcohol.
“Having people leave here with a better state of mind, I feel like will help the streets in general because who knows if it’s a college student that’s starting a mess or if it is someone just on the streets,” Truitt said.
Harrold showed Willie’s/Fieldhouse team members how to de-escalate situations that could become dangerous.
She said the de-escalation tools team members learned, can potentially reduce crime in the city.
“It’s absolutely possible if folks are working on de-escalation and being mindful not to over serve that we can reduce more intense forms of violence that might happen outside of the venue,” Harrold said.
Willie’s/Fieldhouse Manager Myles Robinson said he worries about his staff and customers and wants to make sure everyone makes it home safely at the end of the night.
“Pretty much anything that we can do to make sure that people are coming in the venue, leaving the venue safe and having a good time while here, without scaring them or being for real, like ‘hey, just walk with somebody’,” Robinson said.