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Birmingham police investigating reports of drugging at Rose Room bar

Posted at 5:51 PM, Mar 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-24 18:00:55-04

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Birmingham Police Department is investigating several reports of the drugging women at Rose Room bar. After multiple social media posts by women alleging they had reactions to being drugged inside the bar, such as losing feeling in arms and legs, and slurring words.

RELATED: Social media allegations of female patrons drugged at Birmingham bar

Detectives launched an investigation into the bar located at 220 E. Merrill Street. The community is being asked to share their experiences at the bar and along with any helpful information for the investigation.

“The Birmingham Police Department takes these allegations very seriously and at no time did we receive reports regarding this and indicate nothing could be done,” said Birmingham Police Chief Mark H. Clemence. “I want the community to know that we will do everything in our power to solve this investigation and ensure those who dine in Birmingham are safe.”

A police report can be filed by calling 248-530-1889.

The business responded in a post on Facebook about one of the allegations saying, "We have been made aware through social media of an assertion that a guest of the Rose Room allegedly was assaulted on March 13, 2021. Although we have not received any direct reports of anything like this ever happening at the Rose Room, we take these claims very seriously."

Read the full statement below.

"We have been made aware through social media of an assertion that a guest of the Rose Room allegedly was assaulted on March 13, 2021.

Although we have not received any direct reports of anything like this ever happening at the Rose Room, we take these claims very seriously. There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our guests, and we condemn all forms of sexual harassment and assault.

Rest assured, we have confirmed that the policies and procedures that we have in place for the safety and security of our guests were in place and were being followed. We have already interviewed all of our employees that were working on that date, and we have no indication that the claims being repeated through social media are true.

We take precautions every night to ensure that what was alleged in the social media post does not happen:

Bottles are opened at the table by our staff, in front of guests, to ensure the highest quality;

We have a highly-trained, diverse staff whose primary focus is attending to our guests’ well-being; Our bartenders, servers, managers, and security also are trained both to ensure that patrons showing signs of intoxication are not served and are able to get safely home.

As a small, minority-owned business in a competitive business community, our reputation is everything to us. We will take all actions necessary to respond, and we have already reached out to the person who posted the original message, but we have not yet received a response."