MANHATTAN — The New York City Police Department realeased a new edition of its safety guide for the city's bars, clubs, and restaurant on Monday.
The Best Practices for Nightlife Establishments, written in partnership with the New York Nightlife Association, provides operators of hip spots with a list of ways they can run safer establishments.
It also tells them how to best cooperate with police if a crime happens in or around their bar.
The guide comes after a number of high-profile incidents of dangerous activity in bars and nightclubs around the city. Some in Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen blamed the recent spike in rapes in the area on the unsafe practices of new bars and clubs.
"Anytime you add alcohol to the mix, you have to deal with all sorts of other things," said Paul Seres, president of the New York City Nightlife Association, "such as people not being rational."
This is the second edition of the manual. The first one was released in October 2007.
A detailed section of the manual deals with sexual assaults and tells bar owners that they should help prevent them even though they typically don't take place on their premises.
"In a nightlife environment, certain patrons, primarily young females, are especially vulnerable to potential attackers who may present themselves as friendly, seeking to getting to know them, buying them drinks, or otherwise displaying romantic interest," the report said.
While the guide is not a set of binding laws, Seres said he believes many nightlife operators will follow it.
“I want my staff to have the best, most thorough, in-depth training," said Seres. "That way I can run a great establishment."
Using the guide, the NYPD will conduct training sessions with nightlife owners, managers, and security staff. Those sessions will begin later this month.
