How a Dallas Nonprofit Makes Your Night Safer

Jack WolfFebruary 24, 2023

DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) Gina McKinney has been in the nightlife business for nearly 20 years and knows how quickly situations can escalate.

“In this industry, with so many people going out, trying to have a good time, drinking… anything can happen in the blink of an eye,” she said.

She says that’s why her Deep Ellum club, Blum at the Sporting Club, takes safety seriously.

“It is very important to us that our customers and employees are always safe and that we have a plan of action,” she said.

It was this plan of action that prompted the club to enroll in the 24HourDallas Copper Star certification program.

“Copper Star certification is a six-month program in which we take businesses that are open after 6pm and make sure they meet international standards and best practices for safety, inclusion, a welcoming environment, and community relations.” Brian Toney said. 24 hours Dallas.

This is a partnership between a non-profit organization, the City of Dallas, the Dallas Police Department, and the Dallas Rescue Service.

“We make sure that these businesses have written policies and procedures for managing occupancy levels to not over-serve guests, they know how to turn off service and call home whoever asks or if someone is being harassed. take immediate action,” he said.

Last year, 44 nightclubs received this certificate, including Trinity Cider. Owner Evan Kalstad has already said it makes a difference.

“We actually had a women’s safety champion almost immediately,” he said. “We didn’t have this before. We learned that we should have it with Copper Star and now everyone who works here at Trinity Cider and the women know they can turn to our women’s security champion with any concerns they have and it was great,” he said.

Seeing the effect, this year 84 night enterprises signed up to receive the certificate.

“Being part of this program was important to us because we wanted to be part of the solution,” McKinney said.

“It’s programs like this that help Dallas become one of those safe cities,” Kalstad said.

These businesses believe that having this certification will attract more customers. They said that the more people feel safe, the more likely they are to come.

2023-2024 Businesses seeking Copper Star certification: