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This time, authorities said, detectives advised the operators of Besan Café on East Railway that they had to be closed by 10 p.m. under an ongoing order issued by Gov. Phil Murphy’s to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
When squad members showed up at 10:43 p.m., they found 15 patrons smoking hookahs, so they issued a violation notice to the manager, Paterson Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said.
Police found other New Year's Eve violators in the city, he said.
Although advised shortly after 9 p.m. about the 10 p.m. curfew, the owner of Mazaj Café on Madison Street was cited after police returned at 11:10 p.m. and found the business still open, with 25 people drinking inside, Speziale said.
Then there was the 4th-floor warehouse party on Grand Street.
Detectives who showed up less than a half hour before midnight found three security guards, a disc jockey and 50 people drinking and smoking, Speziale said.
The organizer -- Sativa M. Corlette-Estevez of West Orange – received several violation notices for, among other things, “maintaining a nuisance,” “causing safety issues to the public” and not having a license for any of the uses.
“There were various locations that were visited by the detail-unit to ensure that the establishments were aware of the closing hours,” Speziale said.
City police had raided Besan Café and issued several COVID restriction notices twice in November after finding 160 people there one night and more than 300 another, authorities said. More than 100 patrons were partying there last month when police showed up again.
SEE: Paterson PD Raid COVID-Violating Hookah Lounge For 3rd Time In Two Months
Under an executive order signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, bars and restaurants in New Jersey cannot serve food or beverages past 10 p.m. as part of an attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Addressing illegal gatherings isn’t only about stemming COVID’s spread, city officials say: It’s also a quality-of-life and regulatory issue.
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ALSO SEE: A dozen New Jersey bars and restaurants could have their liquor licenses temporarily suspended for what state authorities said are violations of Gov. Murphy’s COVID shutdown orders.
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