SFPD outlines recent nightclub enforcement, three notices of violation and multiple arrests

Officer Steve Matthias of SFPD’s Central Station told the Entertainment Commission on March 13 that patrols and nightclub enforcement between March 3 and March 11 produced multiple enforcement actions and arrests.

“We had 2 notices of violation,” Matthias said, describing citations issued March 3 at Maggie McGarry’s and Apartment 24. He said officers made three felony drug arrests at Apartment 24 after undercover buys from a promoter and that SFPD has met with the venue about ramping up security and training staff to detect dealing and intoxication.

Matthias said the department is responding to a cluster of incidents along the Broadway corridor, where several fights, verbal arguments and four drunk‑in‑public arrests were reported on a single weekend. He described an incident outside the Cellar nightclub that drew 80–100 people and an impromptu dance party in an adjacent parking lot that officers helped disperse.

Matthias urged compliance and said enforcement is not intended to penalize venues that call police when they have problems. “We look at every single situation…we’d much rather have you calling us than rather than not calling us,” he said, praising venues that invited police assistance and followed recommended procedures.

Commissioners asked about weekend staffing and large events such as Saint Patrick’s Day; Matthias said the city would allocate additional officers and that some venues pay for street closures and officer details. Commissioners also pressed for clearer security practices after recent problems at several venues, and staff said they are developing consistent protocols for handling unpermitted and unsafe operations.

The Commission did not take a formal enforcement vote; the report was presented for information and for staff and police to continue coordination with venues and neighborhood groups.