City Cracks Down on Fire Code Violators

Businesses ranging from Merrill Lynch to a West Village restaurant, Employees Only, have been targeted by a new city sweep for fire code violations that resulted in 104 arrests in the last week.

The violations have included blocked exits, missing fire extinguishers, and broken sprinkler systems, among others issues. The sweep is being conducted by the Fire Department and the city's Department of Investigation. In each instance, those arrested had failed to appear in court on a prior occasion to address earlier fire code violations, according to a statement put out by the two agencies.

Others cited include residences, gas stations, restaurants, a yeshiva, and even a Brooklyn hospital, Maimonides Medical Center, according to information provided by the Department of Investigation. Those arrested for violations at these locations ranged from building owners to employees.

"This effort is helping to keep New York safe and reminds individuals of the serious consequence of ignoring the fire code," the commissioner for the Department of Investigation, Rose Gill Hearn, said.

For about a year, the city has been coordinating sweeps of people who have arrest warrants signed for having missed court appearances related to misdemeanor fire code violations, according to the statement. Almost half of the 221 such arrests made since the sweeps began occurred in the last week. More than $50,000 in fines have been collected.