BRAINTREE, MA -- The town council here has agreed to significantly cut policing requirements at the local Dave & Buster's for the remainder of the summer.
According to local press outlets, Dave & Buster's had been paying the bills for firefighters on duty during weekends and one or more police details assigned to the location every night of the week, as well as a few daytime shifts.
Dave & Buster's said the 86-hours-per-week police presence was unnecessary because customer traffic and sales had dropped as much as 40% when warmer weather arrived.
Despite complaints about the proposal from community leaders and the police union, the city granted Dave & Buster's request. Accordingly, police details have been reduced to three nights per week.
Braintree officials took years to approve construction and licensing of this Dave & Buster's location, which finally opened in December 2011. The very next month, the store was hit with charges of violating its liquor license after two incidents of customer misbehavior.
Authorities quickly cleared the big box amusement and restaurant store of all responsibility in both incidents, but insisted on assigning a heavy police presence to the facility. | SEE STORY
Prior to the reduction in policing, a complaint was filed with the police labor board over which officers receive overtime pay for working the Dave & Buster's details. It is unclear if this complaint was connected with the reduction in force at the location.
