Police crackdown on Main Street hookah lounge | Paterson Times Paterson Times

Police crackdown on Main Street hookah lounge

By Jayed Rahman
Published: December 31, 2015

moonlight-cafe

A city hookah lounge that has garnered many neighborhood complaints for loud noise and large crowds has been hit three times by police this week, according to police director Jerry Speziale and councilman Andre Sayegh.

Sayegh said police shut down the Moonlight Cafe located on Main Street on Wednesday night. “They are misbehaving,” said Sayegh, who represents the 6th Ward, where the hookah lounge is located. “It’s another case of a bad neighbor in a good neighborhood.”

The councilman said many area residents have complained about the crowds and the loud noise coming out of the business.

Speziale said twice the business located at 1029 Main Street was shut down and once it was issued a ticket. He said the business was cited for noise and fire violations. Sayegh said indoor hookah smoking was taking place at the establishment.

The city police alcoholic beverage control enforcement officers also visited the location, said the director. He did not immediately have the specific violations that were issued at the most recent shut down last night.

“This certainly has become a problem with noise complaints, numerous noise complaints,” said Speziale. He said the city is checking to ensure the establishment has all the necessary paperwork to operate the hookah lounge out of the location.

“There’s no quality of life if people in their homes and neighborhoods feel left unprotected and have these nuisances,” said Speziale. “Noise, congregating on the corner, fights, drinking, any of those things turn into bigger problems. And before you know it you have violence. We’re not going to go that way.”


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