Two Boston gay bars are on high alert after they received threatening phone calls on consecutive nights.
According to the Boston Herald, the dbar, a full-service restaurant and nightclub on Dorchester Avenue, received an anonymous phone call around 7:30 p.m. this past Friday night. Meanwhile, the Alley Bar, a nightclub in Boston’s downtown area, received a similar call around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night.
As Rocco LaMonica, the manager of the Alley Bar, told the Boston Globe, it was the club’s doorman who picked up the phone call. He says the call “was threatening enough that we needed to call the police.”
While LaMonica initially wouldn’t share the contents of the phone call, CBS Boston reports that it threatened gun violence.
Police took the threat very seriously, given the short time span since the California bar shooting, and six Boston police officers were sent to the Alley Bar that very night. Afterwards, Boston Police increased patrols around both locations over the weekend.
“We don't take any threats lightly,” Police Commissioner William G. Gross told the Herald . “Everybody should be able to enjoy any establishment that they wish to go into in the City of Boston. Whether it’s the Alley or the dbar, you should be able to enjoy yourself peacefully.”
“If we receive calls for threats, we’re going to investigate it, we’re going to investigate it to the fullest potential and hope we get the individual making those threats,” Gross added. “Captain (Steven) McLaughlin, area C-11 and Captain (Kenneth) Fong have been notified, as well as Captain (Steven) Sweeney.
He then closed with, “We like to be cognizant of any threat. Any threat is always concerning, but we’re here for the folks.”
Business at the bars has continued without problem despite staff being on high alert. That said, both staff and club owners refuse to blink while under pressure.
“We stand united. We don’t believe in intolerance. When we get a bigoted, intolerant phone call – we’re going to send that to the police department and hope they do their best to make sure they find this person,” said dbar owner Brian Piccini.
As for the police, they are continuing with an investigation alongside upping security around the two locations. So far, they have been able to trace back the phone calls to a landline, and are looking into who could have been on the other end.
