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Council presses for fuller police reports after Aloha events; approves limited one-day outdoor expansion with strict conditions
Summary
City councilors said an initial Pawtucket Police report about Aloha Restaurant Lounge did not cover the full set of calls and incidents the council requested. Councilors accepted a narrowed, conditioned one-day expansion for July 5 — limiting outside attendance to 40, ambient music only and requesting police follow-up and a post-event report.
City Councilors raised concerns Wednesday about the completeness of a police report related to Aloha Restaurant Lounge at 904 Main Street and approved a restricted one-day outdoor expansion after the applicant narrowed the scope of the request.
Councilor Gregor said he had requested a broad set of police narratives for events at Aloha and that the report provided by Captain Dino Giorgio did not include the full aggregate of calls and responses the council sought. "I consider this to be an incomplete report," Gregor said, noting he had been told of multiple incidents and that some calls had resulted in arrests. Council members asked the police to compile the full set of narratives covering the period cited by councilors and to supply any additional records.
Separately, Aloha applied for a one-day expansion for an I Love Sao Vicente event on Saturday, July 5 (3 p.m.–9 p.m.). The applicant, Mr. Lopez, amended his proposal during the hearing, saying large events had been moved to an alternate venue and that the remaining request was limited to a small patio gathering. The council and the applicant agreed to narrowed conditions: no DJs or stage, ambient music only, no outside capacity on the patio to exceed 40 people, one speaker rather than amplified DJ setups, and hours limited to 3–9 p.m. Councilor Gregor asked that the police stop by during the event and submit a brief follow-up report to the clerk on what was observed.
Councilor Gregor said he remained concerned about past policing responses and asked for a full set of narratives covering the timeframe cited at earlier discussions. The council also instructed staff to ask the police department to run checks and to make an on-site visit during the event. If the expanded event exceeds the conditions approved, councilors warned the applicant it should not expect future approvals.
The motion approving the limited outdoor expansion included the direction that police be asked to visit and submit a short report on the event. The council approved the conditioned permit by voice vote.
Why this matters: Councilors framed the discussion as both a public-safety and neighborhood quality-of-life issue. They emphasized the need for complete records when evaluating whether licensed establishments are meeting requirements and following conditions attached to past approvals.
Key conditions approved for the Aloha July 5 expansion: ambient music only (no DJs/stage), outside attendance not to exceed 40 people, hours 3 p.m.–9 p.m., and police to check the event and submit a post-event report to the clerk.
