"Take Aggressive Action Against Whiplash," Stoughton Police Chief Tells Selectmen

In the wake of the early morning shooting which took place outside Whiplash nightclub on Wyman St. in Stoughton this past Sunday, Police Chief Paul Shastany and Executive Officer Robert Devine appeared before the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night and recommended selectmen take "aggressive" and "bold" action against the club's licenses.

Devine highlighted a number of violent incidents at the club since July, which culminated in a string of recent activity which included a large brawl with multiple arrests on April 14 and a shooting, which sent two to the hospital on April 21. 

Shastany read aloud a letter he wrote to selectmen where he concluded that Whiplash "constitutes a clear and ongoing danger to the public."

The Chief asked the Board to revoke the club's entertainment license; suspend the alcohol license for a long period of time; and to modify the hours of operation and service of alcoholic beverages by imposing a closing time of 11 p.m.

Selectmen, needing to give the business 10 days advance notice, voted to hold a hearing May 8 to decide the status of Whiplash's licenses. 

Selectman Steve Anastos inquired about a temporary suspension leading up to the hearing, but Town Manager Michael Hartman said town counsel advised against doing so. 

Shastany said he was not fully recovered from back surgery, but told selectmen it was important for him to discuss this matter. He said if not for the Boston Marathon Bombings, the shooting at Whiplash would have received far greater attention from print and broadcast media. 

"We have spent considerable time and energy to make Stoughton a town to be proud of," Shastany wrote in his letter to selectmen. "Our citizens have faith in us to right this problem."

John Stagnone, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said incidents like these "are detrimental to our town and what we're trying to do." He added that he "strongly supports" the Chief.

Shastany said that "this series of problems came upon us very quickly when Whiplash started to attract a younger urban cliental."

"It is a fact," Shastany continued, "that Whiplash, whether knowingly or unknowingly, is attracting known criminal gangs from Boston. We cannot tolerate a business that brings violence to our town."

Shastany said these incidents at Whiplash "are predictable and therefore preventable." 

"I am trying to prevent a needless tragedy from happening," he said.

The Chief has the authority to invoke a business to hire police details and has done so at Whiplash. But in addition to the detail officers, the midnight shift is "routinely needed" to assist when the club is closing, and often times has responded to violent incidents.  

"The groups have little regard for the presence of uniformed police officers as we saw [Sunday] when shooting erupted in their presence," Shastany said.

Devine emphasized that the police department is "not in the business of putting people out of business." He and the Chief spoke to the department's efforts of working with other establishments in town to identify and correct issues regarding public safety, but have not been able to do so with Whiplash.

"Despite all of our efforts, Whiplash continues to constitute a serious threat to the safety of the public, and police officers," Shastany said.

Steve Kelley, owner of the adjacent Trackside Plaza, also appeared at Tuesday's meeting and told selectmen of the frequent issues his property faces with Whiplash patrons using his lot to park when they do not have the authority to do so, in addition to safety concerns and litter. 

He brought a bucket to show selectmen full of broken glass and empty liquor bottles found on his lot after Whiplash's closing. He said there were gun shells found on the property after this past weekend's incident. 

"We cannot arrest our way out of this situation, nor do I have any hope that things will become safer without your intervention," Shastany told selectmen. "Whiplash is incapable of satisfactorily complying with our efforts to eliminate that element [violence, attracting gangs] from the club."