The shocking murder of Imette St. Guillen two and a half months ago horrified the city. Now comes word the State Liquor Authority is moving ahead with steps to revoke the liquor license of The Falls. It was at this Lafayette St. bar where St. Guillen, 24, is said to have been last seen alive around 4 a.m. on Feb. 25, her mutilated body found 17 hours later in a desolate part of Brooklyn.
Despite The Falls’ owners’ initial failure to cooperate with police after St. Guillen’s murder, police were able to arrest a bouncer who worked at the bar, Darryl Littlejohn, who was charged with her murder. Earlier this month, Littlejohn was also charged with abducting a 19-year-old Queens woman six months ago; unlike St. Guillen, she fortunately survived.
Following completion of a police investigation of St. Guillen’s murder, the S.L.A. has now informally charged the Dorrian family, owners of the The Falls, with numerous violations, including two counts of providing false or misleading information during a police investigation, knowingly employing a felon, employing unlicensed security staff and failure to testify under oath before the S.L.A. They have two weeks to respond.
The fact that the Dorrians didn’t cooperate with police after the murder is simply an outrage and deserves the harshest penalty allowable under the law.
However, beyond the closing of The Falls — which we expect and hope will happen soon — this tragic incident has also resulted in opening our eyes to the gravely serious problem of bouncers working at bars and nightclubs without having had any formal screening for criminal history. Littlejohn was a career criminal.
Councilmember Alan Gerson’s legislation requiring background checks for bouncers is sorely needed and should be approved — or else bar and club patrons’ lives will continue to be at risk.
Another part of Gerson’s proposal — paid detail — however, is coming under fire from community activists. Under paid detail, bar and club owners on a given block would pay for off-duty police officers to patrol the sidewalks outside. The officers would be able to control noisy car and taxi traffic and make arrests if needed. The New York Nightlife Association, which strongly backs paid detail, says its bouncers can’t legally put their hands on rowdy patrons and that the off-duty officers’ presence would deter rowdy and/or illegal behavior.
Some neighbors, though, are against paid detail, largely because NYNA wants it. There is, of course, the legitimate concern that police enforcement at bars and clubs might drop if there is paid detail and that there is potential for police corruption. Police Commissioner Kelly also is against paid detail. Clearly, NYNA and Gerson need to make a better case for why paid detail will work. We think the idea could have a lot to offer. But clearly many are not convinced.
