Council Approves Nightlife Safety Measures

New York, NY —

The city council has approved 3 measures meant to make nightclubs safer for its patrons. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

The votes come a year after the death of Imette St. Guillen, a grad student who was killed after visiting a Soho club. They will help the city crack down on the makers of fake IDs, who politicians in part blame for the problem of underage drinking. One measure will also force clubs with repeat violations to pay for monitors, and even install ID scanners.

Another requires about 300 dance clubs around the city to install security cameras at entrances and exits. The main critics are civil liberties advocates who argue that there's no proof surveillance actually prevents crime. The mayor supports the measures and is expected to sign them into law. For WNYC, I'm Arun Venugopal.