PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) - Pawtucket’s mayor says taxpayer money was used to cover more than $100,000 in police detail costs for the Pawtucket Red Sox last year in an effort to keep the team from leaving town.
Mayor Don Grebien tells WPRI-TV that he struck a handshake agreement with the Boston Red Sox Triple-A affiliate to let police detail bills slide at McCoy Stadium. In previous years, the team paid for police.
Grebien says he was thinking of the city’s economic development and he takes full responsibility.
The team last year announced a move to Worcester, Massachusetts.
Grebien says he won’t seek reimbursement from the team and even though the money came from the police department’s budget, public safety won’t be affected.
Critics say it’s an example of special interest groups benefiting at taxpayer expense.
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Information from: WPRI-TV, http://www.wpri.com
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