New York City Retires MARCH Venue Raid Task Force, Launches CURE in its Place

CURE is reportedly a more cooperative process developed in part by NYC’s Office of Nightlife.

Nearly three decades have passed since then-New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani introduced the Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots (MARCH) process by which local law enforcement coordinated venue raids. That system has now been put to rest in favor of a new one called Coordinating a United Resolution with Establishments (CURE).

MARCH established a venue raid protocol that led to “unnanounced, nighttime, multi-agency investigations,” according to a press release. CURE — which was developed in part by the New York City Office of Nightlife — instead requires NYPD precincts to communicate with venues first, bring potential violations to their attention, and offer them multiple opportunities to correct any issues prior to authorizing searches.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the transition during a press conference at Paragon, a venue in Brooklyn. He called the previous raids “abusive” and “intrusive,” saying that “MARCH was the wrong way to go about it.”

CURE is part of Adams’ broader initiative called “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery.” The plan also includes efforts to stimulate job growth, success of small businesses, and inclusive sector growth.

“Today, we are changing the way we engage with nightlife establishments by opening direct lines of communication with local businesses and giving them a chance to correct issues before enforcement takes place,” said Adams, according to the press release. “New York City is the nightlife capital of the world, and this new initiative will help us protect public safety, ensure better quality of life, and keep business doors open for all to enjoy.”

It remains to be seen how closely New York City law enforcement will adhere to the process outlined by CURE. Only two MARCH inspections have been performed since July 2022, according to the press release.