Broken drink machine, smoking cannabis: Groups of Brockton students can stress restaurants

BROCKTON —– Charleys Cheesesteaks sits across Belmont Street from Brockton High School. The restaurant’s Manager Barry Hoffman said a group of 20 or so BHS students will come in nearly every day from the time school lets out at 1:50 until 3 p.m.

He said one kid will buy something while the others hang out at the tables or clump in front of the store’s doorway. A month or two ago, Hoffman said, the students took the fire extinguisher off the wall and sprayed it inside the restaurant.

“It’s just kids being kids and they don’t respect other people,” he said. “We have to put stipulations on the kids.”

Hoffman started setting rules for the BHS students who come by his restaurant. If they don’t order food, he’ll usually make them leave.

“We wouldn’t let kids in without a parent because it’s out of control,” Hoffman said. “I’ve called the cops a couple times.”

Inside BHS, a small group of students has been causing chaos throughout the building, and Interim Principal José Duarte said that some students leave the school’s campus during the day and head to the local businesses.

What about the Belmont Street McDonald's?

Hoffman’s shop isn’t the only business surrounding the school where managers say students cause trouble. Deunilson Medina, general manager of the Belmont Street McDonald’s, said students will smoke marijuana in his store’s parking lot or bathrooms.

“That’s the major concern,” he said.

Medina said roughly 60 kids will come to the McDonald's every weekday, and he estimated that 40% don’t buy anything.

“Sometimes we have to call the police officers,” Medina said.

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Brockton High students at local businesses

At the Burger King just down the street from Brockton High, Manager Keny da Silva said a group of students broke a drink machine about a year ago. It still hasn’t been fixed.

The Burger King has been open at that location since before 2000, and da Silva said the problem has existed for a long time.

“It was bad before, really bad,” she said. “Now, it’s okay.”

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Do students leave Brockton High during school hours?

In November, one week after Duarte took over at BHS, he said the school would crack down on students leaving the building and going to nearby businesses during school hours.

Medina and Hoffman confirmed they see students at their stores during school hours, but the damage mostly comes right after school.

"We will enforce consequences for those who leave the school grounds without permission and remind seniors about the appropriate protocols for signing out prior to exercising their senior privileges," Duarte said.

What is the school department doing about it?

BPS officials declined to comment when asked by The Enterprise if the school has implemented any preventive action plans.

But, Hoffman said he’s been to the school to discuss the problem, and Medina said McDonald's and the school “do have a great relationship.”

“Since [Duarte's] come on board, it seems the high school is getting better,” Medina said. “They’re definitely doing something better.”

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Helping or hurting business?

Medina said being located across from the school means a few students will place mobile orders and bring in more business, but the disruptions caused by students does drive other customers away. He said there are positives and negatives.

A new Starbucks is under construction adjacent to Medina's McDonald's. The drive-thru coffee shop was approved by the city in April 2023.

Hoffman said the problems are greatest at the start of the school year and it becomes a daily routine throughout the year until things slow down by the summer season.

“We have to go through the process every step every time," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Do Brockton High School students cause trouble at nearby restaurants?