By Dan Murphy
Concerns pertaining to public safety and quality-of-life issues on the Boston Common and in Downtown Crossing were the subject at hand during a special City Council committee hearing on Nov. 26 at City Hall.
Rishi Shukla, a co-founding leader of the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association, as well as a panelist at the hearing, cited findings from a recent survey administered by his group, which indicated that 71 percent of 300 respondents feel less safe on the Common than they did a year ago.
Within the past six to eight months, Shukla said he has seen a noticeable uptick in open-air drug dealing in the Common, along with open consumption of drugs and alcohol in the park. He noted that trend coincided with the city’s effort to close down homeless encampments at Mass and Cass.
Shukla said within this same timeframe, some people have begun to avoid parts of the Common, including Brewer Fountain, and areas Downtown, including Park and Tremont streets and parts of Winter Street, due to public safety concerns.
By way of a remedy, Shukla suggested that all stakeholders, including representatives from the city and state, along with those from shelters, universities, and neighborhood civic groups, among others, should be convened and “locked in a room” until they can arrive at some solution.
“This moment calls for our highest ideals and sensibilities,” said Shukla. “We need to put aside partisanship and get a few things done. The future of our city depends on our collective action.”
Another panelist, Liz Vizza, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Public Garden, which works in partnership with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to maintain and enhance the Common, along with the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, also acknowledged that the Common has recently been plagued by more problems than usual.
This apparent trend, Vizza believes, is due in large part to drug dealers who prey on addicts in the park, along with violence and other adverse consequences of this activity.
Vizza pointed out that the Friends group has no jurisdiction over enforcing rules and regulations on the Common while commending the work of Boston Police. She acknowledged officers “couldn’t be everywhere at once” in the park, however.
Echoing Shukla, Vizza called for a “collective response” to address the problems on the Common, including exploring the possibility of issuing ‘stay-away orders’ to individuals who have habitually caused serious problems in the park in the past.
Michael Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (BID) and another panelist, said despite the city’s low crime rates, a park user’s overall impression of the Common, as well as of Boston, comes down to their most recent experiences there.
Colin Zick, president of the Beacon Hill Civic Association and longtime chair of its Parks and Public Spaces Committee, as well as a Friends of the Public Garden board member, joined the hearing virtually as a panelist.
While Zick said the Common has always had its issues during his 30-plus years living and working in Boston, he believes a “different kind” of problem exists in the park today.
Zick acknowledged safety conditions on the Common improved recently after more police were deployed to the area, but he said “that was only after things got completely out of control.”
Looking ahead, Zick suggested that Park Rangers, who now have no authority to enforce rules and regulation on the Common, be given the “tools to protect the park they’re serving.”
He also called for more cameras on the Common, as well as for more services for homeless individuals who frequent the park.
If the goal is for people to ultimately return to working and visiting Downtown, Zick said they would first need to feel safe there.
Boston Police Deputy Superintendent of Field Services Dan Humphreys said as part of a recent strategy, officers have been redeployed into areas of community concern to increase their visibility in ‘hot spots.
City Councilor Sharon Durkan commended the Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox and the department and pointed to the city’s low crime rates as a testament to their work. She also cautioned against “perpetuating the narrative” regarding increased crime in the Common and downtown, which could adversely impact the city while “arousing unnecessary fear.”
Instead, Councilor Durkan suggested striking a balance between legitimate public safety concerns, with the work that the city has done – and what still needs to be done to address the ongoing issues.
Meanwhile, Councilor Ed Flynn, lead sponsor for the hearing, emphasized the need for mutual respect when it comes to further addressing these concerns.
“The last thing I’m trying to do is fear-monger,” he said. “I’m not here to criticize anybody. It’s about working together and respecting each other.”