By Eowyn Michaels
South End residents expressed their frustration with the 311 system following an increase in residential break-ins last summer at the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association Zoom meeting on Tuesday evening.
Captain Shawn Burns, commander of Boston Police District D4, which includes the South End, reported a “slight uptick” in residential break-ins during the summer, resulting in the arrest of all individuals responsible.
WNASA residents, however, have reported new instances of break-ins to the Boston Police Department, according to John Stillwaggon, co-president of WNASA, and Burns.
Stillwaggon reported that the garden unit of his apartment building was trespassed by a “squatter” while the tenants were out of town.
“We arrested [the squatter] three times in four days,” Burns said, and recommended that residents use 311 to report unwanted neighborhood activities.
Stephen Fox, the South End Forum leader, raised concerns about residents’ reluctance to use 311. Fox stated that South End residents who contacted 311 are “disappointed that [cases] are getting closed out faster than they actually get resolved,” highlighting an issue many 311 users have been facing lately. Rather than filing the complaint and sending it to BPD, cases are being marked “resolved,” resulting in no follow-up or resolution, Fox said.
“They’re not seeing the kind of response to their complaint on multiple issues that they would expect to see from 311,” Fox said. Burns reminded residents that if a crime is in progress, call 911 immediately.
Kellie Young, director of the City of Boston’s Coordinated Response Team, a specialized unit that works to end substance use and address quality-of-life issues, said a BPD unit has been working closely with them to support addiction recovery and ensure timely access to care at on-site locations.
Young said that the collaboration between CRT and the BPD Neighborhood Engagement Safety Team has been a catalyst for positive change on the city’s streets.
“The officers that we work with are really invested in the betterment of our community and understand the diversion process,” Young said.
Young introduced a specialty court model designed to rehabilitate defendants by addressing underlying issues such as mental health and addiction. Young’s model suggests the use of pre-arraignment diversion, probation, and parole to treat arrest or detention as a critical intervention point for individuals with substance use disorder—prioritizing treatment access, housing stabilization, and long-term support over incarceration, emphasizing its initiative for community betterment.
“There’s always a choice,” Young said. “They can face their charges and do their time, but we would prefer for them to get the help that they need.”
State Senator Nick Collins, a Democrat whose district includes the South End, joined the Zoom meeting to discuss the ongoing dispute over property taxes. On January 15, the Massachusetts Senate rejected a proposal pushed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu that would have allowed the city to temporarily shift property tax burdens from businesses to residents.
“Compromise is on the way here. We have the ability to lower people’s tax bills, the ability to utilize surplus funds, and manage the burden,” said Collins.
Eowyn Michaels is a student in the Boston University Journalism program. This story is a partnership between The Boston Sun and the Boston University Journalism program.