Police Chief Says Oliveira's Serious Factor to 'Ongoing Public Nuisance'

The management at Oliveira's Steak House will have to answer to the city's liquor board Monday night for at least three violations of its liquor license in recent months that may result in stiff penalties for the Brazilian eatery and bar.

The hearing also comes just two months after the restaurant was for an incident in March where patrons were inside after hours and drinking alcohol.

This time, Oliveira's is charged with transferring an interest in the business without prior notice to the board, a string of disturbances and disorderly conduct on the premises licensed for alcohol -- police have documented 16 incidents between January 2011 and this past April 21 -- and general failure to control those premises and customers.

"Over a period of time, police have observed people involved in disorderly conduct, loud noise, creating disturbances, fighting and generally disturbing the neighborhood," said Police Chief Robert Champagne in a letter to board members, in which he shared a litany of incidents over the past year-and-a-half that repeatedly brought officers down to the Walnut Street establishment.

Champagne said that in many cases, officers found underage customers or ones who were over served and visibly intoxicated -- many of those people admitted to police that they had been at Oliveira's.

"As such, Oliveira's seems to be, if not a source, a serious contributing factor to an ongoing public nuisance," Champagne wrote, noting that despite previous sanctions by the board for alcohol violations, the restaurant continues to operate to the "detriment" of the neighborhood.

"We bring this to your attention to both keep you informed of the efforts of the Peabody Police Department to keep the neighborhood safe, and in hopes that any future violations will result in more severe sanctions, up to and including the revocation of the alcohol license," wrote Champagne.

, police arrested four people (two from Lynn and two from Salem) that night and issued a summons to a fifth person from Beverly after several officers responded to reports of a large fight outside the restaurant.

Police said three of those arrested were underage and admitted to officers they consumed alcohol inside Oliveira's.

According to police, Oliveira's had offered a promotion targeted to ages 18-20, and during the course of the night, the minors mingled with the older late night crowd, leading to a brawl that involved 30 people yelling at each other at one point.

A public hearing is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. in the basement conference room at .