Council calls for briefing on Boston Summer Safety Plan amidst high profile crimes and holiday weekend shooting
Following multiple shootings over the holiday weekend, Councilors Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn are calling for an immediate briefing from the Mayor, Police Commissioner, and public safety officials on Boston’s Summer Safety Plan.
Though crime is up roughly 1% compared to this time last year, multiple high-profile crimes, including a lemonade stand robbery and Boston Police Department (BPD) officers being pelted with fireworks, have heightened concerns amongst residents citywide.
“These incidents are not isolated but part of a larger and deeply concerning pattern that demands a clear, coordinated, and accountable response from city leadership,” said Councilor Erin Murphy. “The City Council has both the legislative and oversight responsibility to ensure that the City’s public safety strategies are transparent, accountable, responsive to changing conditions, and reflective of the needs of residents in every neighborhood.”
Murphy added that it is difficult for elected officials to make decisions when information trickles in from the news or social media instead of coming directly from the City, which, she said, has never provided her with a formal copy of the Summer Safety Plan – despite copies being publicly available.
Mayor Michelle Wu’s Summer Safety Plan includes measures to prevent criminal activity proactively, responding to emergencies, and recovering after incidents. Following the shootings on July 4, Wu said Boston’s first responders and community safety teams had a long difficult night.
“This is a busy time of year. And when we see large gatherings with firearms present, that is never a recipe for peaceful celebrations,” she said Sunday.
Though crime rates tend to surge during the summer, particularly around Independence Day weekend, the Council said it is clear the City needs a new plan entirely.
Councilor Ed Flynn denounced the assault and violence faced by BPD officers, first responders, and city officials. He added that police suffer from low morale, understaffing, and a now growing number of assaults against officers without support from City Hall.
“[First responders] don’t get the appreciation or respect, in my opinion, from elected officials, but they certainly have earned it,” he said.
Councilor Miniard Culpepper said the recent acts of violence across the city, many of which occurred in his district, were heartbreaking and that we should not normalize what is happening.
“Elected officials and law enforcement have a responsibility to develop a strategy that protects every neighborhood, but we don’t need to reinvent the wheel to get there,” Culpepper said. “The people who have spent years earning residents’ trust and preventing violence on the ground must have a seat at the table from the very beginning.”
He said organizations like Greatest MINDS and Torchlight Recovery and leaders including Randy Muhammad, Bishop William E. Dickerson II, and Chip Greenidge, whose work in their communities, Culpepper said, often goes unrecognized, should be reflected in the City’s public safety plan.
Councilor Ruthzee Loijuene called the violence that occurred over the weekend deeply sad. She said she welcomes a conversation about the City’s summer but hopes to see year-round solutions on a collaborative citywide strategy for community safety and violence prevention.
She added that she looks forward to exploring how the Street Worker Program and the now-defunct Street Outreach, Advocacy, and Response (SOAR) could be retooled to provide direct intervention.
The resolution passed unanimously, with all present councilors voting in the affirmative.
