February 29, 2008
To Help Curb Violence, Newsom Proposes Nightclub Reform
SF Late Night Coalition chairperson Terrance Alan (far left), Police Chief Heather Fong, and Newsom at yesterday's announcement
With nightclubs like Jelly's, Whisper, and 715 Harrison playing host to fatal mischief over the past few months, yesterday Mayor Newsom and Police Chief Heather Fong went on the offense against SF nightlife. Four bits of legislation, co-sponsored by Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, will be put before the board of supes:
- The first ordinance would require promoters to obtain a permit before holding two or more events per calendar year, thus enabling the Police Department and other regulator agencies to know who is directly responsible for an event and hold them accountable for a security plan and any violations of health or safety rules.- The second ordinance amends existing law to tighten the permitting process, and grants emergency powers to the Director of Entertainment Commission to suspend permits for a variety of safety and noise violations.
- The third ordinance clarifies the application requirements for Extended-Hours Premises Permits (premises which are open between 2-6a.m.), requiring these premises to create security plans, which the Executive Director of the Commission must approve.
- The final ordinance makes it illegal to loiter within 10 feet of a club for more than 3 minutes. It only applies between 9p.m. and 3a.m. and does not apply to people waiting for a bus or other activity. A person must be warned before they can be cited.
(For the full press release, go here.)
The first ordinance is interesting. Does this means promoters who have weekly or monthly parties must now obtain a permit? And are they more responsible for the club's security than the venue's owner? And the final one seems aimed at those those who have been ejected from a club for fighting and then want to jump somebody when they eventually have to leave, not for those who are waiting for a bus. Will that just push even more violence the streets further outside the venues? Probably.
But overall, we're happy to see the city finally doing something about curbing nightlife violence; though but we're also for throwing a party anywhere in San Francisco "free of governmental intrusion." That is, except for 715 Harrison, whose 18-and-over nights will be the death of us. Seriously, for all we care, that place can burn to the ground. (Because "Nimby" is our middle name, and "Hypocrisy " the scent we wear.)
Photo credit: Jim Herd
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Dance off!
As an independent promoter and nightlife writer who has been involved with doing events for over twenty years, including six in the city of SF, I think this legislation is ridiculous and cannot be enforced, and will in fact restore defacto control over the nightlife scene to the police.
The loitering legislation is ridiculous on the face of it; how will this be enforced? Do we expect police to stand outside clubs with stopwatches? Do we really want to criminalize standing outside a club, having a conversation with someone? If the issue is people laying in wait outside clubs, or someone having been ejected for fighting, then it's up to the club security to call the police and have them deal with that specific issue.
Second, the requirement for independent promoters to have a permit only means that now the police will have the authority to issue or deny permits, and to harass clubs and promoters. I produce a monthly event, and I know many other promoters who do weeklies, monthlies, and one-offs; in most cases, our margins are low, and the idea that we would have to pay additional fees to the city in order to have a permit to throw a party will only result in fewer events being held. And how will this be enforced? Will club owners be required to ask promoters to show them their papers? Will the police randomly show up at clubs and demand to see the permits? Isn't it enough that the clubs and bars themselves have to have permits to sell liquor, have DJs, and allow dancing?
This legislation cannot be uniformly enforced, and so it will be enforced selectively and at the whim of the police. None of this will have any real effect on issue of violence around clubs, because most of that violence is opportunistic and is based on behavior on the part of individual patrons that this legislation cannot address. The only way to effectively address random violent crime is to increase the presence of police foot patrols to dissuade people from acting out; make the police do their job, rather than putting further burdens on club owners and promoters. If you want to see a further chill thrown on San Francisco nightlife, support this legislation; otherwise, contact your supervisor now and let them know they should oppose it for the preservation of our city's cultural life.
This is typical showboating legislation that will do nothing to curb violence.
If they were serious about curbing crime, they'd initiate a $600 bridge toll on Friday and Saturday nights.
Or encourage more cities to do what San Mateo and Burlingame have done with clubs like Glow and that other equally overrated club whose name I forgot. Basically, they try to recreate the sf nightlife experience in the comfort of your own backyard if you're living in the suburbs (think going out to the club, minus the pee smell)
Pants Off!
You can't smoke inside and you can't go outside to smoke either (unless you can smoke a cigarette in three minutes)? Seems dumb. And I don't even smoke!
I kinda have the impression that despite the lengthy rant from PhilG, that this WILl increase foot patrols by giving cops something that they can legally do while on the foot patrols at night.
Unfortunately, police have become results-oriented. If you don't write enough tickets, produce enough problems or whatever the criteria happens to be that needs to go down or up, you're a bad cop. That's not how it should be. This is a way for cops to write petty citations to people so they can get their numbers to an acceptable level, while hopefully increasing the visible portion of cops in the places where people seem to be increasing their problems.
If it gets more cops on the street in the right places, then I'm happy.
The thought of the police being in charge of permits for clubs is pretty frightening. If i held an Obama fundraiser party at a club, would I need a permit? On what basis does the police decide who's allowed and who's not allowed to have a party? This is totally Orwellian.
If there's a problem with violence at clubs, then solve it with more foot patrols and coordination between club owners, promoters, and police. Restricting fun is NOT the answer!