Community Photos & Videos Police & Fire

Public Safety Meeting with Boston Police Raises Ongoing Noise and Quality of Life Issues in North End [Video]

Video: North End Public Safety meeting, October 4, 2012 at Nazzaro Community Center with Boston Police (BPD) District A-1

Incessent noise, underage drinking and quality of life issues took center stage at Thursday night’s North End Public Safety meeting with the Boston Police from District A-1. A highlight of the meeting (30:20 time point in the video) was a walkthrough report with a Boston Globe reporter and Sgt. Lema last Saturday night. Several residents report an inability to sleep on Thursday through Sunday nights. Police are pushing for regulation and earlier closing hours of North End destination spots that cause students and young professionals to be on the neighborhood streets between 12am-4am.

Timeline highlights in the video:

00:00 BPD Captain Tom Lee reviews last 30 days crime statistics in the neighborhood (including the cannoli incident at Bova’s)

05:20 Officer Teddy Boyle gives details on the latest break-ins and other serious crime reports

12:48 Residents give input to BPD on what they are seeing in the neighborhood

15:00 Urinating off the roof report

18:30 More public urination on the North End streets

21:20 Late night dogs barking on N. Margin Street

26:30 Underage drinking reports

30:20 Sgt. Tom Lema escorts a reporter during the late night Saturday in the North End

39:10 Even more public urination

40:45 Loud party calls … 34 calls in last 30 days, a significant increase (Sgt. Lema describes a personal response to a Greenough Lane incident)

44:40 Landlord accountability and pending nuisance ordinance update

52:00 Sales of alcohol to underage customers and the sale of drug paraphernalia

56:00 Frustrated residents speak out

17 Replies to “Public Safety Meeting with Boston Police Raises Ongoing Noise and Quality of Life Issues in North End [Video]

  1. Pompeii is a MAJOR problem w/ all of these issues. I’m very surprised the neighborhood hasn’t come down harder on that business.

    Go across the street to the bank any weekend morning and you can see the trash left by people who buy food at Pompeii and eat at the bank. Moreover, people congregate from 1-4AM in front of Pompeii. No need for that business to be opened until 4AM…asking for trouble.

  2. A lot of the issues aren’t police issues. Where are the people that give out these licenses? that’s why these people are on the streets i blame the associations for letting this happen. they talk about the residents but they’ve failed us everyone that wants a license gets one

  3. Agreed…Living Room getting a 2AM license still irks me. Just because they got a bunch of people together who supported for ONE community meeting swayed the association? You need to take everything into account before handing out these licenses…not just who shows up in support or against it on one particular night.

    You can’t keep giving out and extending liquor licenses and then complain about drunks…they are related…anyone can see that.

    I want NE businesses to thrive but not at any cost. Sandwich shops should not be allowed to sell booze…what town or city does that?

    1. Why can’t I get a beer with my sandwich? Who are you to decide what I should drink when I eat?

      How many noise/crowd complaints have there been w/regards to the Living Room since their license was extended?

  4. People need to understand that both NEWRA and NEWNC are ADVISORY groups only. There have been instances in the past (such as the late Dimios pizza on North St) where both groups opposed the beer and wine license application and the Boston licensing board approved it. The lIving room was turned down on 2 prior occassions by NEWNC and NEWRA. But the composition of NEWNC and NEWRA has changed….to a mostly younger group of people who see things slightly differently than prior members of NEWNC like me who used to oppose any extension of hours past midnight.
    Lots of people showed up to support the Living Room 2 AM license and NOBODY showed up oppose it. That makes it difficult for the neighborhood groups to vote against it unless there is proof of problems (fights, underage drinking, staying open past the closing time on their alcohol license) Even the Area A police who showed up in City Hall twice before to oppose the LRs 2AM application were MIA.
    The other change people need to recognize is in the head of the Boston Licensing board. Dan Polkowski , the former head of the LIcensing Board, tended to side with the neighborhood and kept to an INFORMAL cap on the number of licenses (and earlier closing times ) that would be issued for the NE. There is a new DIrector of the Boston Licensing Board who appears to be more pro-business and does not recognize the old agreement. There is a cap on the total # of alcohol licenses that the State will allow the city of Boston to issue but there is no such thing as a neighborhood cap.
    I have never heard of having hours rolled back unless there is a serious violation. That is something the police can do but I am not sure if NEWNC or NEWRA could do anything. The best thing is if someone sees a restaurant serving to minors, over crowding, etc etc to call the police and report it. THen there would be things on the record to present to a hearing at the licensing board.

  5. What’s wrong w/ the NEWRA or NEWNC listening to all of the supporters of an extended license and then saying…”Sorry, despite of the support here tonight, we still think there are too many alcohol related incidents within a short distance of this establishment to grant an extension.”

    I think that would have been justifiable and rational.

    I go to all of these establishments and like all of them…but you can’t agree to thing like an extension just because they round up a group of customers to attend ONE meeting. That makes no sense. The problems have gone on for years before that meeting and still continue. I don’t understand why 2 dozen people supporting it at one meeting should sway the association.

  6. newra and newnc have failed. they may cause more harm than good since they are biasedand controlled by people with special interest

    whats the point of having them? people should just go direct to the licesing board

    1. The people in the groups give their time and do their best. There is no enforcement and the city, isd and lic board are ultimately responsible. The city has made the NE into a party zone and these kids have no respect. That’s not the fault of the neighborhood groups.

    2. NEWNC has not failed and the council is not controlled by any special interest group. Every neighborhood has similar groups that were initiated by the City (under Mayor White I think) to give the community a voice in zoning and licensing. for 25 yrs NEWNC has had hundreds of dedicated community VOLUNTEERS who give their time to try to do what they believe is the correct thing to protect the interests of the RESIDENTS of the North End. It is not an easy thing to serve on NEWNC, unlike NEWRA, council members votes are not anonymous. I wish all of the people who bitch about the job that is being done and think they would do a better job would get a nomination form , collect 25 signatures in May 2013 and run for one of the six open seats on the council. It is a thankless job, people have to listen to all sorts of verbal abuse from residents and business owners alike and now anonymous posters on this blog think it is OK to trash these people because you disagree with NEWNC’s votes.

  7. That…and Cafe ‘Lil Italy cannot get a liquor license because ONE neighbor complained? The problems happened years ago…does that mean that address will NEVER be granted a license? That’s insane.

  8. Cafe Lil Italy cannot/or could not get a license because there is/was not one available in the city. NEWNC voted not to support the application because Cafe Lil Italy had a license and sold it at market rate (>$25,000) and was then looking for a cheap new license from the city. NEWNC basically called foul. Carla aapplied to the licensing board without support and was turned down BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A LICENSE AVAILABLE. Objection by the one neighbor had little if anything to do with NEWNC’s vote or the licensing board. Get the facts straight before you comment about these decisions.

  9. i saw the lone cop in his boots last night yapping it up on hanover street. this guy needs to get off hanover and salem and onto the side streets were crime is actually occurring. this cop is clearly more interested in yapping it up, flirting with hostesses, texting to whomever, and admiring his own reflection in the windows.

    also, how come the only other time i see police in this neighborhood is when they are protecting a construction site or funeral procession – and in both cases, they are barely doing anything of worth.

    thank god we don’t have murders in this neighborhood or we’d all be dead by this point.

    does anyone ask these questions?

    1. I would have to echo this comment unfortunately. I know exactly who you are talking about, but on the other hand one person can’t do it all…

  10. I see young people pissing on my property all the time and i see others have the same problem. i call but by then they are gone. I cant get to night meetings. thanks for the videotape. i’m glad the police are hearing its a recurring problem

  11. I truly appreciate the time and effort the neighborhood assoc members put in but…..I just disagree w/ a lot of what they approve insofar as liquor licenses are concerned and I think they need to keep history in mind and not just approve things because it will will bring more $$$ to that business and the NE in general. There’s a price to pay for all of the liquor licenses…a social price.

    I love to have wine or booze w/ my meal but…there is a tipping point and we’ve long since passed it.

    1. History except where it might impact the Freedom trail and the FT foundation objects or The old North Church or any of the other Churches object. But other than that history has little to do with the Epcot Center North version of Italy that this neighborhood has become. Haven’t you ever heard tourists ask “Do you think people actually live here?”

      If you feel that strongly, why not run for NEWNC in May 2013?

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