Latest news with #Provincetown
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Four Mass. beaches, one Maine beach rank among the safest in the country, study finds
Four Bay State beaches and one beach in Maine topped the list of beaches nationwide with the lowest levels of theft-related crime, a new study has found. The study by The Action Network analyzed property crime data from over 520 U.S. beach-area zip codes. It measured the data, including theft, robbery, vehicle theft, and burglary, all per 1,000 residents. The findings? Four Massachusetts beaches — three on Cape Cod and one on Nantucket — rank in the top five in the country with the lowest risk of theft, with all reporting theft rates under 2.5 per 1,000 residents. The Massachusetts beaches topping the list of beaches nationwide with the lowest levels of theft-related crime are: No. 1: The Cape Cod National Seashore, which spans across the towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans and Chatham, and Marconi Beach in Wellfleet share the top spot, each with an implied theft probability of just 0.95%, supported by low rates of theft (1.62), robbery (0.29), vehicle theft (0.47), and burglary (1.23) per 1,000 residents. No. 3: Old Silver Beach in Falmouth, which has a low robbery rate of 0.21 per 1,000 residents. No. 4: Siasconset Beach on Nantucket, with a theft rate of 2.07 per 1,000 residents. 'What makes Massachusetts beaches stand out is their consistency across all property crime categories,' a spokesperson from The Action Network said in a statement. 'From Cape Cod to Nantucket, these locations don't just have low theft rates — they also report low instances of robbery, vehicle theft, and burglary, which collectively contribute to their top rankings,' the spokesperson said. 'That kind of well-rounded safety profile is what makes them truly exceptional.' In Maine, Reid State Park ranked No. 9 among beaches with the lowest risk of theft. Reid State Park has the lowest robbery rate in the nation — at just 0.08 per 1,000 residents — contributing to its low implied theft probability of 1.47%, the study found. Florida also had seven beaches in the top 10, with most of the beaches there showing very low vehicle theft and burglary rates, highlighting safer conditions in parts of the state's Gulf and Atlantic coasts. California, North Carolina, and Hawaii account for over 80% of the top 20 highest-risk beach areas, the study found, 'pointing to a clear concentration of theft risk across multiple coastal locations within these states.' A link to the study can be found here. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Yahoo
Provincetown MA plans 'safety forum' after several incidents against LGBTQ+ community
Town officials in Provincetown plan to hold a community safety forum on Tuesday, July 8, at Town Hall after a series of incidents in which members of the LGBTQ+ community have been targeted over the past week — including one incident involving three MetroWest teens. According to a town statement released on Wednesday, July 2, and reported by the Cape Cod Times, the purpose of the meeting is to provide updates related to the reported incidents, share safety tips and have a discussion about "how to protect ourselves and each other." One such incident allegedly occurred on Monday, June 30, when police say three MetroWest teenagers — a pair of 19-year-olds from Framingham and Hudson, and a juvenile from Hudson — allegedly drove through town and, while using air horns, yelled homophobic slurs from their vehicle at several people. The three teens are each charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, according to a press release from Provincetown Police. Additional charges may be filed. 'Pioneer in equal rights': For LGBTQ+ people, Mass. ranks high among retirement spots Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Provincetown Police Detective Sgt. Jennifer Nolette at (508) 487-1212, or via email at jnolette@ Callers may also use the Police Department's tip line at (508) 487-2828 or email at report-a-tip@ In a separate incident, also on June 30 and reported by the Cape Cod Times, police say a person walking on Bradford Street near Howland Street in the east end of town was attacked by men who got out of a black Lexus sedan and used homophobic slurs. In that case, police are asking that anyone living in the area of Howland Street check security or doorbell cameras they may have between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on June 30. Provincetown is a small coastal resort town at the tip of Cape Cod. While its year-round population is fewer than 4,000 people, that number can swell to 60,000 during the summer. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Three MetroWest teens accused harassing Provincetown LGBTQ community
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
3 people accused of yelling homophobic slurs at several people in Mass. town
Three people are facing disorderly conduct charges after police say they drove through Provincetown, Massachusetts, yelling homophobic slurs at several people through air horns.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- CBS News
Communities in Massachusetts upset after several anti-LGBTQ+ incidents
A series of anti-LGBTQ+ incidents across Massachusetts has left local communities outraged. In Provincetown, police are investigating a potential hate crime after a man was attacked on Monday morning. The victim described the attackers as three men in their 20s or 30s who used homophobic slurs during the assault. "Provincetown is a safe haven and safe space for the LGBT community, and we intend to keep it that way," said Provincetown Town manager Alex Morse. "I want to thank our police department, our residents. Obviously, people are a little bit on edge, but we are being vigilant. We will have additional officers out and about in the coming days." Morse said that Provincetown police are working around the clock to locate the suspects. In Jamaica Plain, a number of Pride flags have been torn down from homes in recent days. Residents have expressed anger and frustration at the vandalism. Anti-LGBTQ+ sign outside Medford church In Medford, controversy has erupted over a sign posted outside the New England Baptist Church that reads, "Homosexuality is an abomination." Residents said they were surprised to see the sign there. "I know it's a church and people can celebrate anything that they want, but that's not celebrating anything, that's creating more hate," said Erin, a Medford resident and a member of the LGBT community. "It's something we definitely don't need right now." The Modern Pastry owner next door said that when she saw the sign, she immediately painted a rainbow on their window. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has been tracking anti-LGBT incidents across the country. From May 2024 to May 2025, over 900 incidents were recorded. Sarah Moore, a spokesperson for GLAAD, attributed the uptick to harmful political rhetoric. "When we allow harmful and defamatory tropes to be perpetuated through this political rhetoric. That same rhetoric is then being used as justification for these acts of violence against the community," Moore said. People in Medford said that the sign is not representative of the town's beliefs. Many consider the area an inclusive and welcoming part of town.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- The Independent
Why you should visit Provincetown, the Cape Cod town that's a beacon for progress
When the Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower stumbled ashore in 1620, after a 66 day struggle across a wintry Atlantic, Cape Cod offered safe harbour. And hope. The settlement that grew up in their wake, Provincetown, today shines as a beacon that offers safe harbour in an America currently embroiled in stormy waters. And hope. I make landfall just a few miles from where the pilgrims were saved. A simple plaque marks that spot. The first thing that strikes me is the hulking 77 metre tower erected in their memory. The second would have those immigrants from England turning in their puritanical graves. Half of the New York Store is a cheery traditional half ice cream parlour; the other half revels as a cannabis dispensary, a fitting welcome to the most inclusive, progressive and tolerant town in New England, perhaps America. You can pick up a free map on the ferry from Boston to 'P-Town', as it's almost universally abbreviated. I don't have time to even open it en route as I am too busy spotting humpback and minke whales, who also harbour in the nutrient-rich protected waters. We've voyaged a mere 60 miles from Boston, but Provincetown feels an ocean apart from much of Trumpian America. We're at the very tip of the Cape Cod peninsula yes, but P-Town very much feels like an island oasis. That free map is an exuberant 'Queer Adventure Guide & Map to LGBT+ Provincetown', bursting with information about the 'Gaybourhood', including drag shows, tea dances and 'Boy Beach', the latter a cruisey playground befitting its moniker. Queer lifestyles are not just tolerated here, they're reassuringly a norm, making P-Town a blessed relief to anyone who has spent part of their lives trapped in any form of closet. The traditional clapboard architecture may coyly evoke the respectability and tradition of Cape Cod-loving John F Kennedy's America, but beyond those elegant wooden porches seriously unpuritanical P-Town is closer to the remarkable president's alleged more nefarious sides. Anything goes in Commercial Street's wee stores and independent boutiques: the only chains in P-Town are the ones you'll find yourself trussed up in, if you so desire. The tourist office proudly claims on its website that 'Provincetown is a place that changes you. Any season. Every time.' It's easy to agree, with an energy and openness that are impossible to ignore, as I head to ScottCakes, whose logo is 'Legalize Gay Cupcakes', before continuing to my hotel with Pride Rides taxis. Manager Jaime-Lyn Daley greets me at the ocean-view Harbor Hotel Provincetown with a typically warm P-Town welcome and checks me in, before Uber driver John sweeps me back into town. He's a 'Townie', born and bred, rather than one of the myriad hues of refugees who have found sanctuary and acceptance here. 'You can keep your seafood and your beaches,' he smiles. 'For me it's all about the tolerance of the people. Yes, we've had a lot of big money coming in recently, but we remain very tolerant.' That tolerance is not a new thing. It drifts back in time, shifting through the sweeping sand dunes and the cobalt ocean that frames P-Town on both flanks under big Atlantic skies. In the nineteenth century, P-Town welcomed Portuguese sailors, mainly from the Azores and Algarve, who felt at home here. It is easy to see why as the coastline reminds me of the sand bars and dunes of the Eastern Algarve. Robert Costa is third generation Portuguese, his grandparents fisherfolk from Olhao. His dad was born in Provincetown and set up Art's Dune Tours in 1946 as he returned from fighting in Italy during World War Two, a time when tourists from all over America were discovering the glorious charms of Cape Cod. Robert (P-Town is a first name terms sort of place) and his family have lived through great change, but he remains positive: 'At our heart we still have the historic preserved architecture and protected landscape. We've also kept a tightly knit sense of real community that has been lost across a lot of America.' Ex-city slicker Bill Sulliven sweeps me off for one of the famous dune tours. This is no Dubai-style dune destroying bashing, but a nature drive around a set route that minimises damage to the fragile world of grasses, heathers and myriad fauna. As we stop to gaze out, Bill seems to be enjoying himself as much as me. The ocean dances across his eyes as he explains: 'I lived in Boston for 35 years, but I've really found myself living here. Life here is just so much more relaxing and closer to nature than any big city.' We've got JFK to thank for this preservation. He signed the Cape Cod National Seashore into existence in 1961, preserving a natural joy that has proven a haven for people, too. P-Town is home to America's oldest continuous art colony – and writers such as Eugene O'Neill, Jack Kerouac and Tennessee Williams have sought inspiration in the wooden shacks set in the dunes. P-Town's magnetism also captivated Anthony Bourdain, America's great foodie Hemingway, when he worked here washing dishes. Next I head to Gale Force Bikes. Kate Coman is another typically positive P-Town resident. Her insistence that the best thing about her home is 'the people, the people, the people' dances through my heart as I skip off the tarmac on to the web of wild trails. I'm immediately adrift in a world more Jurassic Park than theme park. On my last morning, I wake at sunrise, drawn back to this wild world where the pilgrims staggered ashore. The only sounds are the gentle late spring breeze, the distant rumble of the ocean and the coyote I startle just metres ahead on the trail. With the coyote gone and his accompanying vultures circling far overhead, it's just me in the dunes. Bar, of course, the ghosts and free spirits of the generations of pilgrims, fishermen, writers and artists who have all found sanctuary in this most beguiling of natural and human harbours. Some locals like to call P-Town the 'end of the world', but it's more of a continuation of American hope, as it has been since 1620. Getting there
