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A new nightclub owned by an Italian chef and a retired police officer is putting security at the top of its list of priorities. Some of the security measures include metal detector wands at the door, a dress code, and walking customers to their cars at the end of the night.

Frankie and Johnny’s, a sports bar and nightclub, will open around the time school starts. Owner John Perrine said he was stopping potential problems before they began by having extra security measures at the door and in the club. He said all the security measures were to ensure that everyone could relax and have fun once they got inside.

Perrine said that at the door, customers would be wanded and subject to a strict dress code before entering. He said the club would also crack down on underage drinking and fake IDs with a scanner that alerted the doorman if the same ID was swiped twice in the same night. This eliminates the possibility of “passing back,” in which people allow minors to use their IDs to get inside.

“In the end, nothing replaces the human eye,” Perrine said.

Purses will also be checked to make sure no alcohol is being snuck in, Perrine said. When customers of age enter the club they will receive a wristband, while underage customers’ hands are marked with a black light marker that cannot be washed off, he said.

“You have to control your door,” Perrine said. “That’s where the happiness begins.”

The club’s rules state that if a minor is caught drinking, he will be photographed, detained by law and permanently banned from Frankie and Johnny’s.

Perrine said there would be a lot of cameras, but wouldn’t specify a number. He said 90 percent of the cameras would not be visible to customers.

“We’re not trying to keep an eye on everybody,” Perrine said. “It’s for the safety and security of the customers.”

Perrine said that the minimum number of security guards on any given night would be eight and that there would be more on a night with a concert or comedian. He said he hand picked and trained security personnel in crowd control, “verbal judo” and alcohol awareness.

“We’re bringing in guys that have brains as well as brawn,” Perrine said.

If a security guard sees someone who is too intoxicated to carry on, the club will find the person’s friends or call a taxi, he said.

“We’re going to make every attempt to get this person home safely,” he said. “We want people to be able to come back.”

Perrine said security wouldn’t stand out and wouldn’t be wearing security shirts.

“They’ll blend in with everybody else,” Perrine said. “They’re going to be hiding in plain sight.”

Sergeant Bill Cory with the Lawrence Police Department said any security measure to make things safe when people were out at bars and clubs was important.

Cory said the Lawrence Police Department wasn’t working on anything in particular to crack down on bar security, but instead responding to calls as they came in. He said that the department provided training for bars every year for underage drinking and related issues, but that it was not mandatory for bar owners to attend.

Cory said it was good to see bars taking proactive steps toward cracking down on violence.

Mindy Pressman, San Diego graduate student, said she didn’t feel unsafe going out in Lawrence. She said that when she walked to her car after being at a bar she always made sure to walk with a friend.

“I’m not worried about in the bar,” Pressman said. “I’m worried about leaving.”

Pressman said that being walked to her car by a security guard was a nice offer, but that it would almost make her feel as though Lawrence was more dangerous than it was.

She also said she didn’t like the idea of metal detectors where she was going. She said it made her wonder what kind of atmosphere the bar was expecting.

“I don’t want to feel like I’m going through airport security when I’m going drinking,” Pressman said.

— — Edited by David Ugarte

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