The Derby Reopens After Police Raid

The Derby. Photo by Ava Battinelli ‘26

The Derby, located at 96 Main St. in Poughkeepsie, was raided on the morning of April 19 by the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, along with city building and fire officials and the New York State Liquor Authority, following reports of underaged drinking at the establishment.

At the time of the raid, the Poughkeepsie Police Department reported that 20% of the bar's patrons were underaged, according to a press release.

As a result, two bartenders were arrested and charged with Class A misdemeanors for unlawfully dealing with minors. In addition to the arrests, several fire and building safety code violations were found, deeming the bar unsafe. The Derby was ordered to be closed until the issues were resolved. 

Ownership told the Circle that the closure was not primarily related to the State Liquor Authority. “It wasn’t a state liquor authority issue; it was a building department, fire department, and public assembly issue. I didn’t renew [the license] in January, so I had to renew my public assembly, and I had a couple of emergency exit lights that weren’t working properly.”

In addition, co-owner Joe Rabasco also acknowledged that underage patrons have been able to get into the bar using fake IDs scanned by an SLA-approved device.

“...New technology allows minors to get official-looking IDs that even fool state-recommended scanners. There’s virtually no way for our staff to spot fake IDs that are fooling the scanners, which is troublesome,” Rabasco told Mid-Hudson News.

Despite the severity of the findings, the closure was short-lived. On Monday, The Derby posted on Facebook, stating that the fire and other coding issues had been resolved and that the bar would reopen on Tuesday, April 21.

However, the State Liquor Authority’s investigation is still ongoing. 

The incident has raised concerns about nightlife in the area moving forward. Thaddeus Kinlaw ‘27, founder of AFTERDARK, an event production group that has hosted events at The Derby, emphasized that his organization was not involved in operational decisions made for the temporary closure. 

“I can only speak to my experience, which was a standard event night,” Kinlaw commented. “The decision to close belongs to Derby ownership, and I’d defer to them on the specifics.”

Kinlaw added that AFTERDARK hosts events at other locations besides the Derby, minimizing the impact on student nightlife.

“AFTERDARK produces events across multiple venues in the Hudson Valley and beyond, so our calendar isn’t tied to any one room,” Kinlaw said. “I have a lot of respect for what The Derby has meant to Poughkeepsie and wish that team well.”

The Derby’s quick reopening may be a temporary fix. As the State Liquor Authority continues its investigation, additional actions could still follow.