SUFFOLK COUNTY PROBATION OFFICERS ASSIST POLICE WITH
MAINTAINING ORDER AT TROUBLED NIGHTSPOT

A group of Suffolk County Probation Officers have turned out for the past two weekends at the Aria Nightclub on Tremont Street to help Boston Police Officers from the Area A-1 precinct to keep the peace and identify court-involved individuals. The Theatre District nightclub was the scene of a recent shooting and alleged gang-fueled melee.

Dressed in jackets with the words "Probation" emblazoned on the back, 16 Probation Officers have been maintaining a presence outside of the club the past two Saturday nights. They have also joined the police in patrolling a 10-block radius of the club in Area A-1 which includes the Theater District, Downtown Crossing, Chinatown, Back Bay, the West End, North End, and Charlestown.

On a recent Saturday, Probation Officers identified an individual who had a pending case at Boston Municipal Court (BMC)-Dorchester. He was found to have drugs in his possession and was taken into custody by police.

Mark McHale, Suffolk County Regional Supervisor for the Massachusetts Probation Service, said the police/probation initiative was established to stop the gang activity and drug dealing that allegedly occurred outside of the nightspot. McHale said the Probation Officers discovered right away that the individuals involved in the activity were known to the courts and some were on probation in the Boston Municipal Court (BMC) divisions. The 16 Probation Officers involved in the initiative are from Boston Municipal Court (BMC)-Dorchester; BMC-Central; BMC-West Roxbury; BMC-Roxbury; and Suffolk County Juvenile courts.

"The police officers who work in Area A-1 did not know the faces and were not familiar with their names. The Probation Officers were familiar with them and able to identify them. When Probation Officers are present, it is more of a deterrent," McHale said.

Area A-1 Police Lieutenant Sean Feeney said the alliance between Probation and Police has been very successful.

"This joint venture we have deployed has been very fruitful. It is a very effective tool for us. I would like to continue this effort. I have nothing but the highest praise for Probation," said Feeney. "When the P.O.'s come out with their jackets with the word Probation, they get the attention of these young people."

BMC-Dorchester First Assistant Chief Probation Officer Anthony Gully said of the effort, "We are ensuring the safety of the patrons. We are able to help identify many of the people in the crowds outside of the club.";

By maintaining a presence outside of the club, Gully said, Probation Officers have spotted a number of Youthful Offenders, high-risk probationers who are 17-25 years old. Gully said there are 990 active Youthful Offender cases in BMC-Dorchester Court.
Of that number, 120 have court-imposed curfews.

"Before they saw us outside of the nightclub and in the Theater District, they thought ‘I can go out. A Probation Officer is not going to check on me at 2 a.m. in the morning. They thought they could skirt their curfew,” Gully said.

“This gives us a whole new dimension. This will stop young people from acting out,” he added.

BMC-Roxbury Probation Officer Kevin Lyles said participating in this initiative is not only beneficial for the Area A-1 Police, it has also aided Probation in keeping tabs on offenders.

“It is very important to see probationers outside of the court, their homes, and communities. For some in the Youthful Offender group, the Theater District and downtown areas are an open market for selling drugs in the wee hours of the morning,” Lyles said. “If individuals are in violation, they will be surrendered and held accountable.”

BMC-West Roxbury Probation Officer Brad McNichols said while maintaining a presence, he has also identified offenders from his court.

“I am seeing more and more youth from our jurisdiction because they are facing heat in our area,” McNichols said. “But we are there (nightspot) at night when the clubs close and it has been very effective.

The Probation Officers who have participated in this initiative include: John Izzo, Jim Griffiin, and First Assistant Chief Probation Officer Thomas Lally from BMC-Central; Chris Connolly, Chris Gillis, Paul Shaughnessy, and Kevin Lyles from BMC-Roxbury; Thomas Todd, Matt McDonough, Assistant Chief Probation Officer William Steward, and First Assistant Chief Probation Officer Gully from BMC-Dorchester; and McNichols from BMC-West Roxbury.

Also participating in the initiative are Suffolk County Juvenile Probation Officers Lisa Butler and Ron Whitehead as well as Suffolk County Superior Court Probation Officer Brendan McClennan.