NYC WANTS TO CRACK DOWN ON PHONY ID'S!!!

Just came across this article in this morning's NY POST. It seems that the city government wants to crack down on the large number of underage drinkers using phony ID's. As a member of the "nightlife community", I say it's about time!

I've come across many a fake ID in my day; and while I like to think that I do a pretty good job of spotting underage wannabe drinkers, truth be told, it gets harder and harder to spot the fakes. Often I have to rely on other "tactics" to expose the underage person to go along with my "gut feeling"; simply because the high-tech equipment used to produce licenses these days make them look eerily close to the real thing. And when you rely on sources to bring you up to speed on spotting the fakes, it's never enough because those who are producing the fakes always seem to be one step ahead of the game. A real pain in the ass.

I can honestly say, however, that we are pretty diligent when it comes to proofing patrons, simply because the underage drinker presents more problems than their worth. More often than not, they can't handle their limits- and the price of their behavior simply isn't worth the trouble.

So whatever the city council can do to assist us in our efforts to curb this problem, I'm all ears.

Here's that article:


HOLD THE PHONY! CITY TARGETS FAKE-I.D. KIDS
By STEPHANIE GASKELL

December 28, 2006 -- The city wants to rein in underage drinkers who use fake IDs - and may seek a mandatory one-year driver's-license suspension for them, The Post has learned.

In a report being released today, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn will propose several reforms aimed at making bars and nightclubs safer - including plans to go after partiers who use the bogus IDs.

The report notes Florida's tough fake-ID laws, which carry hefty fines and possible jail time.

Currently, there is no mandatory license suspension or fine for using a fake ID in New York, though a judge can choose to suspend the user's driver's license.

A source told The Post that while imposition of a mandatory suspension is not cited in her report, Quinn favors such a measure and may bring the proposal before the full council. The council would then make a formal request to state lawmakers in Albany that they approve beefing up the law.

Quinn's report also says that people who make and sell fake IDs, which can be easily purchased over the Internet, should be targeted as well.

Nightclub owners praised the move by the council. They have been complaining that it's too difficult to spot fake IDs - even with high-tech scanners. "They're agreeing with us," Robert Bookman, a lawyer for the New York Nightlife Association, said of Quinn and the council.

Quinn's report is the result of a "nightlife summit" that she hosted in September to bring the parties together to brainstorm in the wake of several recent deaths at nightclubs, including that of Jennifer Moore, who was just 18 when she was raped and murdered in July after leaving a nightclub in Chelsea.

It's unclear whether she used a fake ID to get into the club - but her death spotlighted the problem of underage drinking in the city.

Club owners, NYPD officials, local lawmakers and the state Liquor Authority chairman spent a day at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice - the alma mater of 24-year-old grad student Imette St. Guillen, who was killed in March after a late night of partying at a SoHo bar.

Bookman said the report reflects many of the issues that were discussed at that meeting. "They listened to us," he said.

Some of those recommendations include the creation of an Office of Nightlife Affairs to oversee the $10-billion-a-year industry and holding quarterly meetings between the New York Nightlife Association and high-level NYPD representatives.

The report also mentions a key request from bar owners - so-called "paid detail," which would allow bars to hire off-duty cops to patrol the areas outside clubs - but says it can't be done because Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is against it.

The report also says the city should create its own version of the State Liquor Authority, something many bar owners are against because it could lead to city rules different from those elsewhere in the state.

Bookman also said he disagrees with the report's recommendation to use the city's nuisance-abatement laws to go after problem bars because he fears officials could use these laws to unfairly target bars.

Quinn declined to comment yesterday.

stephanie.gaskell@nypost.com


What do you think?


NUFF SAID