MARCH Eliminated. CURE Implemented
The NYC Hospitality Alliance was proud to join Mayor Adams, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, the Office of Nightlife’s newly appointed director Jeffrey Garcia, along with the office’s former director Ariel Palitz, other government officials, and nightlife advocates to announce the end to the NYPD's "Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots" (MARCH) initiative. MARCH was created by the Giuliani administration and conducted unannounced multi-agency raid like inspections of nightlife establishments that harmed them and had come under scrutiny, which is why the NYC Hospitality Alliance long advocated for its reform.
MARCH will now be replaced with the new CURE process that requires police precincts to establish direct, in-person communication with business owners and managers in conjunction with the Office of Nightlife, making them aware of potential violations and conditions of concern, and providing multiple opportunities for local business owners to correct issues before enforcement actions are taken. This engagement, education, and compliance-first approach, is a priority of the NYC Hospitality Alliance’s advocacy and we’re grateful to Mayor Adams' administration and all the advocates for embracing this sensible reform. Thanks to John Barclay and the team at Paragon nightclub in Brooklyn for hosting the press conference at their venue.
Here’s what people are saying…
"Whether it's quality of life or public health and safety, we've long urged the City of New York to work collaboratively with bars, nightclubs, and restaurants to address and resolve these issues instead of using unnecessary enforcement actions that jeopardize successful outcomes and erode trust between government, small businesses, workers, and customers," said Andrew Rigie, executive director, New York City Hospitality Alliance, and chairperson, New York City Nightlife Advisory Board, and Robert Bookman, counsel. "That's why we look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Adams and the Office of Nightlife on this important transition from implementing the heavy-handed MARCH strategy to using the new CURE solutions in the city's nightlife sector."
"CURE is clear – it is a transformative moment for the nightlife community, and I am proud that the Office of Nightlife will be able to help even more with this new engagement-first approach. Public safety extends beyond law enforcement," said ONL Executive Director Jeffrey Garcia. "A thriving nightlife industry keeps the lights on, with more eyes on the street. Most importantly, without worrying about unannounced multi-agency enforcement, nightlife venues will be set up to succeed and able to focus on what they do best: run their businesses and create more jobs."
"The evolution from MARCH operations to the CURE process took many years of collective effort to achieve," said Ariel Palitz, former director, ONL. "I am proud to have led the effort and help lay the foundation to reform these operations and include non-enforcement solutions that work toward resolving quality of life and safety issues. This reform will also help to improve the relationship between city agencies and hospitality businesses. Reimagining MARCH operations was a top priority for me and the Office of Nightlife since day one and I'm happy the day has finally come to announce this important step forward that will help improve fairness and as well as the quality of nightlife and how it's enforced for years to come."