Bars and nightclubs in the city will be issued with metal detector wands, following a campaign that has received backing by Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson
A petition was launched to introduce the security devices following the murder of Liverpool man Sam Cook, who was was stabbed in the heart at Empire bar in Seel Street while out celebrating his 21st birthday last week.
As the Merseyside Police investigation began, Amy Robinson started the petition after deciding she wanted to help make metal detection wands part of nightclub safety protocol.
The online signature sheet started with a single name and quickly got more than 37,00 additional ones over a short period of time, quickly surpassing its 30,000 target.
Amy, 19, told JMU Journalism: “I didn’t know Sam, but like the whole city I’m mourning such a senseless loss of a young life. It really could have been anybody that was out that night as I was myself with friends.
“I definitely feel that in the future going into Liverpool city centre, having the metal detecting wands being used on arrival, I will be feeling safer when inside clubs and hope everybody else will too.”
Some venues have their own procedures in place for keeping their customers safe, such as bag checks and pat downs. The wands will allow security staff to more accurately identify if a club-goer has any metal objects about their person, preventing dangerous objects from entering the establishment.
Mayor Anderson also supported the idea and Liverpool City Council, alongside partners, Citysafe, agreed funding for 100 wands to be given out to premises that have a licence to stay open until late.
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Mayor Anderson told the Liverpool Echo: “Many bars and clubs already have very good security and searches in place, and the wands will be an additional measure that they can use to try and prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again. I think its a proportionate response to what has gone on.”
After seeing the amount of signatures gathered in the petition, Amy takes pride in her home city. She told JMU Journalism: “The reaction seen from the people of Liverpool makes me proud more than anything, it shows how much we care for everyone’s safety and come together for the victims, their families and our own loved ones.
“It’s a perfect example of what a great city we really are.”