Despite the recent multiple shooting on Main Street not being directly attributed to the Alta Cafe, city officials, cops, neighbors and License Commissioners are holding club owner Ben Mercedes at least partially responsible. This morning, the Commission ordered a set of new rules that Mercedes complained will effectively put him out of business.
The new regulations require Mercedes to hire two detail officers instead of one any night he is open; it’s mostly to control the crowd and parking outside his Main South club. He’s required to hire the details from 9pm-3am; as details are paid in 4 hour blocks, that’s essentially 16-hours of details he must pay four nights a week. (Thursday through Sunday).
The kicker? If the cops don’t show up on time (something Mercedes says is a regular occurrence) the club isn’t allowed to open, even if Mercedes has hired them.
“If you can’t get an officer, I’m sorry. That’s not our issue,” said License Commission Chair Kevin O’Sullivan.
Mercedes–who agreed with neighbors and officials that the parking situation blocks the side street – wasn’t happy with the move. “I’m getting blamed for everything. You’re going to put me out of business,” he complained.
The ruling came after testimony from Joe O’Brien, Billy Breault, and Barbara Haller about ongoing problems at the location, dating back to 2000. Mercedes claimed that the corner is a hotspot for after-hours, but that the crowds aren’t all from his club, and that they come from citywide. Still, O’Sullivan put the onus of responsibility square on Mercedes.
Police officials also told commissioners that there is an investigation being done by internal affairs and the detectives bureau as to what happened the night of the shooting; there has been a question as to whether or not a detail officer should have been on at the time. O’Sullivan asked that the results from those investigations be made available in a couple weeks, or whenever complete.
5 Comments
June 5, 2008 at 7:26 pm
YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT JOE O’BRIEN WAS KEVIN O’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER. GOOD JOB ATTACKING BUSINESSES HALLER AND CO.!
June 6, 2008 at 7:27 am
It may well be hard to get a detail cop in the city. They happen to be very busy you know. In fact just last week as I sat in the new Washington Sq “rotary lite” I happend upon several of these “dirt watchmen”. Traffic was backed up around the circle due to little old lady and her lack of traffic circle skillz…So the traffic from Grafton St just kept going through and the folks in the circle just sat horns a wailing….Chubby cop and Officer slim just watched the whole thing…Never once daring to even raise a hand to entertain traffic control in some fashion…Ah the joy of public service… So maybe the restaurant will not be able to open but…rest assured your dirt is safe and your hole will be well guarded…
June 9, 2008 at 6:28 am
[...] thursday a post went up over at the WoMag blog following the License Commission meeting that seemed too bizarre to be true. Following the latest [...]
June 10, 2008 at 1:59 am
only in Woostah is a shit hole like that bar called a business..
June 22, 2008 at 2:10 pm
[...] Billy Breault and Barbara Haller saw by far the most action this week. Not ones to settle with forcing a private business to pay police to patrol public ways the pair found the time to draft a letter to a whole bunch of local officials regarding the use of [...]