DEADWOOD, S.D. (KELO) — A new strategy to stop drink spiking and sexual assaults kicks off in Deadwood this week.
The Barn Burner Campaign aims to empower those out for a night of fun to help those who might not know they need it.
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This idea started after writer and producer Sean Covel, who’s known for films like Napoleon Dynamite, learned what his friends are dealing with in larger cities.
“When I think about drink spiking, I think about some bad guy going in and targeting a woman and spiking her drink. But what I’m actually learning is it’s more like a group environment where a guy is going to hit multiple drinks and then sits back to see who will cut off from the group,” Writer/Producer Sean Covel said.
While there haven’t been problems in Deadwood, the western South Dakota city sees 3.5 million visitors each year.
“And then just our local residents, so for them to have this safety blanket around them, just to feel safe when they’re going out and having a cocktail or dinner is very important,” Saloon No.10 Manager Charlie Struble-Mook said.
Charlie Struble-Mook, at the Saloon No.10, went door to door with Covel to get other Deadwood businesses involved.
“Over the course of an hour, most of the bars on main street were already on board. It wasn’t even a conversation, yeah it looks great, sounds like safety, we’ll help you out,” Covel said.
These posters are spreading the word to customers.
If you notice something suspicious, just say “Barn Burner” to any bartender or bouncer and they’ll take action.
“Most guys are good guys who want to protect and this is an opportunity or a tool to allow them to be that good guy that wants to protect and look out for others,” Struble-Mook said.
“So by starting it here and starting it small, we’ll start to hear the stories and we’ll start to create momentum and when you have that momentum, then you can scale it out hopefully nationally,” Covel said.
Sean Covel is hoping the Barn Burner Campaign can catch on in other cities. If you are interested in getting your business in the program, you can contact Charlie at the Saloon No.10 in Deadwood.
