Chief Asks Board to Consider Revoking Restaurant's Liquor License

Peabody Police Chief Robert Champagne is asking city liquor authorities again to consider permanently stripping Oliveira's Steak House of its license to pour drinks. Why? Because it's become a public nuisance and a flash point for violence in the neighborhood.

Champagne, in a recent letter to the Licensing Board, said nothing has changed in the past year since he expressed similar concerns about the Walnut Street restaurant and its clientele.

Instead, he argued, the ongoing situation poses a hazard to the neighborhood, patrons and police officers.

"I, again, call your attention to this licensed premise and my ongoing concern for the escalation of violence and that this premise operates contrary to good public purpose and has demonstrated itself to be a public nuisance," Champagne wrote.

Since January of this year, police have been called down to the Brazilian eatery 12 times for fights between patrons, disturbances and other instances of disorderly conduct that have spilled outside the bar onto Walnut Street.

Then on Oct. 12, as patrons were clearing out for the night, there was a stabbing with multiple combatants and multiple people were injured or hospitalized. Two people were arrested on assault charges.

The Licensing Board has scheduled a hearing for Nov. 25 at 7:15 p.m. to have the owners come down to discuss the situation.

Champagne had requested action be taken in May of 2012 after a series of brawls and other violent incidents.

At the time, a change in ownership of the restaurant was underway, which appeared that it would resolve the public safety concerns although it also revealed a number of problems with the corporate filing practices and record-keeping.

Consequently, the transaction was delayed for months after the Licensing Board had already temporarily revoked Oliveira's liquor license for 90 days.

Now, according to police, it appears nothing has changed and board members agree.

Attorney John Keilty, who has represented the restaurant, chatted informally with board members Monday night about the situation, saying a regular police detail might solve the problem.

Board Chairman Minas Dakos said Oliveira's is the only establishment in the city that sees this kind of violence repeatedly -- enough is enough.

"I don't want cops having a target on their backs," said board member Fred Murtagh.

As an alternative to revoking the license, Champagne asks that the board roll back the hours at Oliveira's to 11 p.m., but he also wants to see at least five interior and exterior security cameras installed and operating whenever alcohol is being served or there's live entertainment on the premises.