The NYPD’s controversial practice of raiding Big Apple nightlife spots is being put to bed, city officials said Thursday — following years of complaints from local businesses.
A new policy, announced by Mayor Eric Adams Thursday, would replace the Giuliani-era MARCH initiative — or Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots — that led to cops storming into bars and clubs for surprise inspections during business hours.
“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 said.
“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 new initiative announced — dubbed the Coordinating a United Resolution with Establishments or CURE for short — requires local police precincts to speak with owners or managers about possible violations or neighborhood complaints before taking further action.
The city has long faced complaints about the decades-old policy of conducting unannounced blitzes, which sometimes lead to the business being shuttered and which owners said amounted to harassment and scared off patrons.
CURE appears to take the NYPD’s protocol a step beyond the 2019 City Council bill “Talks Not Raids,” which required semi-annual reporting on the raids and for the department to give businesses more information about why the action was taken.
“An engagement-first approach is the way forward for the NYPD and our partners as we address community concerns within New York City’s nightlife arena,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said in a statement.
“By collaborating with our city’s many local business owners and managers, this new process will enable our police officers to build trust and strengthen relationships throughout the five boroughs and further the NYPD’s mission of preventing crime and disorder while enhancing quality of life.”
Other city agencies previously that have participated in MARCH will now also follow the new guidelines, including the Fire Department and Department of Buildings, but all agencies will still perform real-time inspections to address any immediate public safety concerns.
“The FDNY is happy to participate in this new, more equitable process,” said FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. “Our fire inspectors will continue to inspect reports of dangerous establishments and keep New Yorkers safe.”