New York's Dance Police Chill Out

New York authorities announced this week that they intend to repeal the City's notorious jazz era Cabaret laws, which police have been using in recent years to outlaw dancing in bars and clubs without licences.

Bloomberg administration official Gretchen Dykstra told the New York Times they'd be introducing new nightlife licences to replace the 1920s era laws and 'retiring the dance police' though her promises drew a mixed response.

"Even if the city struck down the cabaret law tomorrow, club land would still be in trouble," said Ethan Brown, writing in the New Yorker.

"The Bloomberg administration needs to stop ticketing and padlocking clubs for violations that have nothing to do with excessive noise or club-goer safety. The city sends a contradictory message when it says it wants to end the unreasonable war on nightlife but continues to prosecute it anyway," he added.

Robert F. Messner, chief of the Civil Enforcement Division (the NYPD team responsible for shutting down clubs) emphasised the Bloomberg administration philosophy, when the Cabaret law changes were first mooted 12 months ago.

"The Police Department is not less tough on night life", he told the New York Times.

"If you listen to stories about what led to this homicide or what led to this assault, you would be surprised how many stem from nightclubs. We don't want those places in New York. We make it very clear."
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