The NYPD’s history of raiding nightclubs in the city is being put to an end after years of complaints from local businesses that were affected.
In an announcement issued by Mayor Adams this past Thursday he declared his plan to replace the MARCH initiative, or Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots, which was originally enacted by former mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 90s. The program often led to cops storming bars and nightclubs for surprise inspections during their business hours, inciting backlash from owners and employees of these establishments who felt they were unjustly shuttered or harassed- scaring off their customers.
The new initiative Adams announced is called CURE, or Coordinating a United Resolution with Establishments, and requires local police precincts to reach out to owners and managers of nightlife spots about their possible violations before taking immediate action.
“Today, we are changing the way we engage with nightlife establishments by opening direct lines of communication with local businesses and giving them a chance to correct issues before enforcement takes place,” Adams stated in his announcement. “New York City is the nightlife capital of the world, and this new initiative will help us protect public safety, ensure better quality of life, and keep business doors open for all to enjoy.”
The introduction of CURE seems to be a further step taken from the 2019 city council bill “Talks Not Raids,” which was established by council members Stephen Levin and Rafael Espinal, and mandated semi-annual reporting on the raids from law enforcement along with requiring the department to provide more information about why the action was taken.
Jeffrey Garcia, the executive director of the New York City Office of Nightlife, commended the new policy as a win for local business owners. “They won’t have to constantly look over their shoulders,” he commented during a news conference at the Paragon nightclub in Brooklyn.
Other city agencies that were previously enforcers of MARCH will also now be expected to follow the new guidelines of CURE, including the Fire Department and Department of Buildings, but they all must still perform real-time inspections to address pressing public safety concerns.
Yet, some law enforcement and government officials seem to have another perspective on the topic- seeing it as something that will enable misconduct and allow violations to proliferate in nightclubs and bars.
“More layers of bureaucracy will only prolong the existing quality-of-life issues,” stated Queens Councilmember Robert Holden. “While the city’s commitment to collaborative problem-solving is important, eliminating MARCH operations might inadvertently send the wrong message to the scofflaws.”
However, NYPD commissioner Edward Caban expressed support of the initiative in a public statement on the introduction of CURE, claiming “An engagement-first approach is the way forward,” as a means of building community between police and local businesses, and preventing the spread of crime.
