Neighborhoods

Here’s how Mayor Wu is planning to combat summer violence in Boston

City officials said they are investing more in youth programs, focusing on repeat offenders, and emphasizing community engagement.

By Ross Cristantiello

May 22, 2024

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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a detailed summer safety plan Tuesday, saying that it is the product of an unprecedented community engagement process while touting Boston as “the safest big city in America.”

Wu also released a long-term “Plan to End Violence.” This multi-year initiative is based on four concepts: prevention, intervention, recovery, and reinvestment. It aims to end violence of all forms “holistically” through reliance on data and community engagement. 

The plans, Wu said, are the result of a concerted effort her administration has made over the past three years to shift its community safety strategy in a more collaborative direction. 

“Safety isn’t something that we all of a sudden turn on and start talking about and thinking about as the weather gets hotter,” Wu said at a press conference in Mission Hill. “For us, and for our administration, community safety is a year-round, collaborative effort and opportunity.”

So far this year, homicides are down by 82% and shootings are down 44% from the same period last year, Cox said. 

Summer safety

The warmer months pose unique challenges. There are more visitors from outside Boston, the sun is up longer, students are not in classes, and large gatherings are more common. All of these factors contribute to a heightened potential for conflict, police commissioner Michael Cox said. 

Between June and August of 2023, there were 52 shooting victims over 42 individual incidents, Cox said. This represented a 24% drop from the same period in 2022, and was 35% below the five-year average. About 60% of those incidents occurred between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Cox urged residents to be on the lookout for large parties late at night and to contact police with any complaints or reports of criminal activity. 

While formulating their plans for this summer, officials hosted three rounds of engagement sessions with residents. This resulted in 27 meetings at community centers, officials said. They are working to “scale up” programming, support neighborhood groups, strengthen violence intervention efforts, and invest in the communities most impacted by violence. 

City officials are working with police to focus on what they have dubbed “opportunity zones,” places where there has historically been a higher rate of violence. 

While some Boston neighborhoods are statistically more violent than others, officials said that they are targeting specific “micro-locations” where violence disproportionately occurs. The city is “honing in” on 15 of these smaller areas, senior advisor for community safety Isaac Yablo said. 

Most of the crime in Boston is committed by a small number of repeat offenders, Cox said. Police are taking special interest in those who “drive the violence.”

Cox also issued a warning to “revelers,” a term he used for those who drag race, blast music, and drive off-road vehicles in Boston. In April, police received around 30 calls from Back Bay residents when a group of cars drove the wrong way, made donuts, and raced up and down Commonwealth Avenue in the middle of the night. City councilor Ed Flynn called on Cox and the BPD to be more proactive in addressing incidents like this. 

“Do not come to Boston this summer to engage in this activity because we will seize your vehicles and equipment,” Cox said. 

Focusing on young people

Another area of focus is youth engagement. Hundreds of minors gathered near two movie theaters in August 2023, resulting in multiple fights and arrests. Juveniles were involved in numerous violent incidents, prompting Cox to call on parents to keep better track of their children.

Yablo admitted that last year’s summer safety plan contained some “gaps.” There is a new emphasis on filling the “critical” hours of 3 to 10 p.m. for young people. 

The city is still supporting summer job opportunities for young people, and Boston Public Schools offer a variety of programs. There are three new ways officials hope to keep young people engaged and away from crime this summer. 

The first is a “Boston After Dark” event series, where various organizations will work with the city to host events on Friday nights between 6 and 9 p.m. Second, more teen-specific activities will be offered at the beginning and end of summer. Third, children’s counselors will be brought into some community centers to lead behavioral health therapy groups starting in July. 

Money for events

The city’s “Adopt a Block” initiative, which supports programs from faith communities in areas historically prone to more violence in the summer, is expanding. Special “unity walks” for people of all faiths are being planned for Mattapan, Roxbury, and Dorchester. The first is set for June 13 at Malcolm X Park on Dale Street. 

For the second year, the city is administering block party grants. These “mini-grants” allow residents to close off residential streets and host parties for their neighbors. Applicants can receive up to $750 for food, party supplies, games, and other related items. A total of 52 block party grants were awarded last year, providing $30,000 to residents across 14 neighborhoods, according to Wu’s office.  

Officials said they worked to streamline the permit application process in order to speed up approvals this year. 

Another set of small grants are also in their second year. The “summer activation” grants are meant to empower “organizations’ efforts to activate social spaces and build community with residents throughout the summer months.” Wu’s community safety team is administering $100,000 for these grants. That money will be awarded to tenant task forces, neighborhood associations, and other similar groups this summer.