On Tuesday, October 15, City officials met with the City Council to update them on the status of crime and public safety issues at Encore Boston Harbor and in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Police Chief Steve Mazzie and Fire Chief Anthony Carli were summoned to the Council meeting by Councilor John McKinnon to report on the crime situation at Encore and on Lower Broadway since the grand opening in June.
Councilor McKinnon was absent, but Councilor Wayne Matewsky posed the issue his behalf.
Chief Mazzie said that the Everett Police Department’s crime analysts were working with analysts from Wynn Resorts to get a better understanding of how law enforcement at the casino and surrounding area should be managed.
There is a round-the-clock police presence at Encore between Everett Police and State Police. Arrests are split between the two departments, with 60 percent being booked in Everett and 40 percent being booked to the State Police barracks in Medford.
According to Chief Mazzie, there have been no major felonies occurring at the resort or by patrons to the casino in other areas of Everett – also known as spillover crime.
Overall, Chief Mazzie said the arrests have been few in number, most of them relating to public intoxication, alcohol-fueled skirmishes, and minor thefts. Other arrests have related to apprehending individuals with existing warrants. He mentioned that gaming-related offenses had been few, with the exception of some minor incidents earlier on.
“There are issues every day. It’s open 24/7. It’s a large complex with a large volume of people going in and out,” he said. “But we’re getting all the same issues we thought we’d get based on volume.”
Chief Mazzie said that Friday and Saturday nights are their busiest times, which they had anticipated, and which they had prepared for by bringing more officers onto the force ahead of the opening.
Chief Mazzie also reported that crime in the area has been mostly isolated to the resort and its patrons and has not “spilled over into the community.”
“The issues seem to be confined to Lower Broadway,” he said, adding that most casino patrons leave by vehicle. The only exception is when a patron stops at McDonald’s or Mike’s Roast Beef for a bite on their way out of town.
Ambulances have been dispatched to the resort to assist with issues such as drug- and alcohol-related medical emergencies, which Chief Mazzie called “not surprising.”
Chief Carli reported that there had been approximately 400 ambulance dispatches to the hotel and casino since the opening, which resulted in 160 individuals being transported to area hospitals.
The Council asked to receive regular updates on crime and public safety as it concerns the casino and surrounding area.
“You can’t find major trends until you have historical data. My analysts will look for patterns and problems,” said Chief Mazzie. “Let’s take it month to month. Every month is a new experience.”
City officials had previously appeared before Council on Sept. 3 to provide an update on the parking situation on Lower Broadway, with most councilors agreeing that parking and traffic were better than anticipated.