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Richmond casino announces new safety system

The River Rock Casino and Resort in Richmond is one of the first hotels in Canada to introduce a new safety solution in the hospitality industry.
River Rock
A suspected international money launderer has been arrested at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, where he was found be living temporarily

The River Rock Casino and Resort in Richmond is one of the first hotels in Canada to introduce a new safety solution in the hospitality industry.

The React Mobile safety system takes the form of a fob which is provided for hotel employees who finds themselves in an unsafe situation while working alone.

A few months ago, two reports linked to sexual harassment and assault allegationson River Rock casino staff by customers were released by the B.C. Attorney General.

However, James Fry, River Rock’s assistant general manager, told the Richmond News that the introduction of React Mobile was not a result of the allegations, saying the system was implemented because “it was the newest safety technology to become available in Canada.”

Employee and customer safety is the River Rock’s first priority, added Fry.

When feeling threatened or in need of assistance, employees can press a button on the fob which will signal for help through a smart phone app and share the employee’s location to security services.

“While emergencies are extremely rare, there can never be an environment that is too safe for our team members and guests, so we are excited to integrate React Mobile into our already robust security programs,” said Fry.

In addition to the React Mobile safety system, River Rock has a 24-hour highly-trained security team as well as a state-of-the-art surveillance system.

In 2017, BCLC probed harassment allegations made by casino staff in 2017, and the subsequent actions taken by BCLC and casino owners, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation.

According to BC Attorney General David Eby, a report from the casino security provider, Paladin Security, confirmed casino staff reported incidents of alleged assault by customers.

And, as soon as BCLC became aware of potential non-reporting by Great Canadian, it reported the incidents to the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, as required under the Gaming Control Act.

The second report is the branch's regulatory investigation into whether the casino owners reported incidents to the branch, as required under the act.

This report, says the government, found that “all incidents that were required to be reported to police had been reported, and there was no evidence the casino's management or employees had suppressed reports,” according to a news release.

However, the investigation also determined that a small number of incidents were not reported to the branch.

The branch investigated these unreported incidents and made eight recommendations, aimed at “protecting casino staff from potential harassment and strengthening internal procedures.”

-With files from Alan Campbell