Vibe to beef up security

Vibe nightclub will beef up its security arrangements with state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to deter would-be offenders at the night spot, if it gets the go-ahead to re-open.

Both Vibe and Zelda’s strip club were closed on May 3 following a decision by the Liquor Commission, based on a Section 95 complaint by police.

The City of Rockingham had a similar complaint thrown out by commission deputy chairman Seamus Rafferty last week.

The commission said ‘‘it was not so naive as to determine that there are no issues with the operation of Zeldas’’ but said evidence presented by the city was ‘‘deficient in many respects’’.

Owner Kevin Mann said security would be stricter, if the premises was allowed to re-open.

‘‘If we do re-open, we’re going to put a new type of technology, which has been trialled in the Aberdeen Hotel in Perth and has been very successful,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s got 12-point recognition system. Any incidents are identified right away. Anyone who has been banned from licensed premises will also show up.’’

Mr Mann said about 40 staff members, casual and full-time, were laid off on May 3.

‘‘The whole thing is a mess,’’ he said. ‘‘All of the staff have been let go. I’ve had staff who were there for a long time who had their jobs terminated. It’s a shame.

‘‘We said to them we don’t know what will happen until the court decides.’’

Mr Mann hoped to employ former staff members at Vibe, should it get the go-ahead to re-open.

Losses incurred by Tocoan, which operates both premises, have also been ‘‘substantial’’, he said.