Latest news with #DowntownBusinessAlliance
Boston Globe
28-02-2025
- Boston Globe
As the mayor's race heats up, crime downtown becomes a concern
Still, there is a steady drumbeat of complaints that downtown, in particular, has become a hotbed of lawlessness. To hear some neighborhood merchants tell it, an upsurge in street drug use and other crimes have put everyone on edge. So Mayor Michelle Wu spent a morning this week in a meeting sponsored by the Downtown Business Alliance, before announcing new steps intended to rein in public drug use. She was joined by Police Commissioner Michael Cox and District Attorney Kevin Hayden, as if to underscore the high-stakes nature of the discussion. At a press conference later, I had a question for the assembled leaders: Just how dangerous is downtown, really? Are the fears justified or overblown? Advertisement 'I'm not going to say anything is overblown,' Cox said. 'If one person is fearful, that's something we should address.' But he went on to defend the safety of the area. Like his boss, Cox knows that when it comes to public safety, perception can quickly become reality. 'Crime is something that you have to work on always, and so we're never going to … rest on our laurels. We had a really great year last year. We have to keep always working [for] perfection, whether we get there or not.' There's no question that parts of downtown can feel a bit questionable, especially at night. The explanation some people have landed on is the displacement of many homeless and addicted people from their previous encampments around Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, better known as 'Mass and Cass.' Many of the displaced have taken up residence around Downtown Crossing. The city says it is taking many steps to address the issue. Not the crime issue, per se, but what it has taken to calling 'congregate drug use' — which, in plain English, is people gathering to share drugs. So the city will be increasing police patrols and taking other steps to combat the drug activity that leads to other crime. Advertisement In talking about how to address this, DA Hayden tried to walk a line between compassion and toughness. He stressed that people with substance use issues need and deserve help, such as diversion programs that seek to avoid incarceration. But he added that people who commit crimes will be arrested. 'We're talking about a targeted and balanced approach towards accountability and enforcement and treatment and diversion at the same time,' Hayden said. 'People who prey on the vulnerable, on those who are addicted to drugs, we will hold accountable.' It's obviously not a coincidence that the city is trying to get out in front of this issue at the start of campaign season. Though public safety doesn't register as an obvious vulnerability for Wu, a sense that the center of the city is dangerous is the kind of thing an opponent can make hay of. Michael Nichols, president of the Downtown Business Alliance, emphasized that compared to other major cities, Boston's downtown is safe. He said 750,000 people a week work, dine, and socialize downtown without incident. But he also noted that drug use from Boston Common to South Station has become a concern for his members. 'We believe the city is stalking it seriously, and that will lead our neighborhood to be even safer than it is today,' Nichols said. As far as I'm concerned, if Boston has a crime problem it isn't downtown but in the neighborhoods, where shootings and other acts of violence still occur too often. Advertisement Downtown Boston is slightly more dangerous than it was a couple of years ago, but much safer than most cities. In normal times, that might be a relief. In an election year, it's a problem to be fixed, sooner rather than later. Adrian Walker is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Boston Police Patrolmen's Association officially endorses Mayor Michelle Wu in reelection race
Advertisement The timing of the endorsement appears strategic for Wu, who is slated to testify before a Congressional committee next week as part of a Related : On Wednesday, Republican members of the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released what was effectively an The video served as a preview for the grilling Wu and the other three mayors are expected to endure by conservative lawmakers, who will likely argue the cities are less safe because of their laws that For months, Wu has countered that narrative by pointing to the city's Advertisement On Wednesday, Wu and other public safety leaders met with the Downtown Business Alliance to discuss concerns about public drug use and homelessness near Downtown Crossing and Boston Common. She said officials are focused on increasing foot traffic downtown and are investing in resources like new supportive housing units and more substance-use treatment options, as well as increased police patrols and enforcement. Related : Wu also attended a meeting hosted by the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association to discuss public safety Thursday evening. Although the meeting was shared on the mayor's public schedule, the Globe and other media were prevented from attending. After the meeting, Wu answered questions from reporters, calling it a 'really powerful and impactful conversation,' about what strategies are and aren't working to address downtown's challenges. After formally accepting the BPPA and the Boston EMS union's endorsements Thursday, Wu thanked the membership of both unions, and reiterated her commitment to supporting city employees and prioritizing public safety in the city. 'I want to hold up Boston as the example of where we are getting the best bang for our buck: City workers, our first responders, our teachers, our public works employees across the board, these are the people and family members who make our city run,' Wu said. While she hasn't formally launched her reelection campaign, Wu has said she is running for a second term in this year's mayoral election. She is Niki Griswold can be reached at
