Police to stop moonlighting

City plan to forbid off-duty jobs at bars riles union, businesses

Police recently padlocked a liquor store on North Avenue whose owners had been urged to take security measures after several violent incidents. City Councilman Bill Henry told Bealefeld that he has encouraged owners of other package liquor stores to hire off-duty police as security and wonders what options they would have if the policy changes.

City Council Vice President Edward L. Reisinger also expressed reservations about the new plan's funding. He said he worries that bars and clubs in his district would not be covered in the new zone and that a pool of money for additional on-duty police officers might not amount to extra security for all of the establishments that need it.

Bealefeld said the change is needed to make sure businesses take responsibility for security.

"Some of these locations have become enormously violent and a threat to public safety, and the refrain I hear from some of the club owners is, 'Well, your cops are working security. So if the patrons aren't safe, who's responsible?' " Bealefeld said.

But Weinstein wondered if the reverse could also be true.

"If a club has had some [promotional] night going on for who knows how long and they haven't had any incidents ... then the police are pulled off and the first night somebody gets killed, whose fault is that?" he said.