With the holiday season now upon us, Back Bay car breaks are on the rise as thieves target vehicles with visible packages, said Officer Chris Shoulla of the Boston Police Department’s District 4.
“Back Bay has always been one of the top spots [in the city] for car breaks,” Shoulla told those in attendance at the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay Police Panel/Public Safety Committee meeting on Thursday, Nov. 29, at First Church in Boston. “It’s a very safe area otherwise.”
Car breaks are occurring regularly in alleys, as well as tandem parking spots, Shoulla said, because if a perpetrator gains access to one of the cars, he’s likely to find the keys for the other vehicle. Besides wrapped gifts, which are common this time of year, would-be thieves are also targeting cars with visible computer bags and backpacks.
Shoulla said homelessness is also an ongoing quality-of-life issue in the neighborhood, with homeless people congregating in the “deep” entranceways of several Newbury Street businesses.
Committee chair Charlie Neckfarow added that homeless encampments have also sprung up at the Church of the Covenant at 67 Newbury St., among other locations.