On a sweltering July afternoon, a trio of police officers cruised the sandy stretch of Rockaway Beach, their uniforms sticking out against the laid-back beachgoers sipping on nutcrackers and beers. The officers handed out $25 fines to those caught drinking in public—a crackdown that left many beachgoers scratching their heads and some even letting loose with jeers. For Teresa Bazzi and her friend Elena Brollo, both lounging on Coney Island Beach, the enforcement felt like nothing more than a cash grab by the city. “Drinking doesn’t mean you’re going to turn into a wild, crazy person who attacks other people,” Bazzi said.
Under Mayor Eric Adams, the city has cranked up the pressure on low-level crimes, especially public drinking. In June alone, nearly 7,000 tickets were dished out—an uptick from the 4,000 tickets handed out during the same month last year. These figures, pulled together by Gothamist from the city’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, show that public drinking citations have more than doubled since 2019, jumping from 17,000 to nearly 40,000 in 2023.
Public drinking has been off-limits in New York City since 1979, but it has long been a cherished activity among New Yorkers, particularly in parks, on street corners, and at the city’s beaches. During the early days of the pandemic, when bars and restaurants were allowed to sell to-go cocktails, the practice became even more popular, with relatively few tickets being handed out. This summer’s tough stance, however, has many wondering if the city’s efforts are more about raking in revenue than ensuring public safety.
Critics argue that the focus on public drinking disproportionately targets Black and Latino communities. Data shows that from 2016 to 2023, nearly 90% of fare-jumping tickets and 9 out of 10 public drinking citations were given to Black or Hispanic New Yorkers. Michael Sisitzky, assistant policy director with the New York Civil Liberties Union, questioned the need for such policing, saying, “How is it a criminal matter that someone has a beer on the beach? A glass of wine in the park? This isn’t actually making life better for New Yorkers.”
Yet, some, like Jill Snider, a former NYPD officer and lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, argue that public drinking can lead to more serious crimes, particularly when alcohol stirs up already tense situations. “If you let people drink in the streets all day, you’re coming back later at night to fights and gunfire,” she warned. For Snider, enforcing public drinking laws isn’t just about keeping order—it’s also about preventing accidents and making sure public spaces stay safe for everyone.
