Police Warn Of MA Mall 'Takeover' Flash Mob Events Set For Friday

PEABODY, MA — Peabody and Braintree police said they were preparing to respond to what they called planned shopping mall "takeover" events at the Northshore Mall and South Shore Plaza, respectively, on Friday.

Peabody police said they were aware of the event being advertised on social media as a "Northshore Mall takeover" set for Friday at 3. Braintree police said they were aware of a similar planned event set for the South Shore Plaza at 7.

"Our primary concern is public safety, including visitors of the mall, employees, business owners, and the residents of Peabody," Peabody police said in a statement on Friday morning. "Events promoted in this manner can attract a large and unpredictable crowd.

"We are working closely with our local and state law enforcement partners to plan an appropriate response to prevent and minimize potential risks should such an event take place."

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Braintree police said they have coordinated staffing, developed a comprehensive operational plan, and will work with State Police, as necessary, to manage any crowds.

"We will continue to monitor information related to events of this nature and respond accordingly to protect our community," Braintree police said.

Gov. Maura Healey ordered State Police to crack down on the so-called flash mobs after a series of drag racing incidents in Brockton and Fall River earlier late last year. A flash mob in Boston included those involved in shooting fireworks at police cars.

Healey called the flash mobs "illegal street takeovers" and said there would be a "zero-tolerance policy" for those involved who block emergency vehicles and put residents in danger.

"These participants are ignoring lawful orders to disperse," she said this past fall, "concealing their identities a lot of times with masks, acting aggressively at times toward police officers, and in some cases, deploying fireworks.

"This causes disorder. It causes damage to property — we've already seen that. It poses a real, significant threat to public safety and certainly harms public life in our neighborhoods and our communities."

Healey said her administration was awarding an additional $14 million in safety grants to cities and towns to support traffic enforcement and stop illegal activity. Recipients of this funding include more than 200 local police departments and 10 state agencies.

"We're going to double down on this work," Healey said. "It's important work. It's about quality of life in our communities."

She said the results of the fall crackdown included 232 civil citations, 74 warnings, 20 criminal summons, seven arrests, 15 tows, two seizures under the Controlled Substances Act, and one stolen car recovery.

A police car was destroyed in October when a crowd of more than 100 people who had taken over a Boston intersection attacked law enforcement vehicles in an incident that ended with two Rhode Island teens facing charges, authorities said.

"I am going to continue to make my message clear to people," Healey said. "Whether they are from Massachusetts, or they are coming to Massachusetts, we've got zero tolerance for this stuff — zero tolerance.

Officials warned those organizing and taking part in the flash mobs that participation can lead to fines, license consequences, criminal charges, and, when violence occurs, felony charges.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)