WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:06.320 It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WVZ, Boston's news radio. 2 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:10.400 Thanks very much, Dan, As we move into the nine 3 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:15.640 o'clock hour, here, just what everybody in this audience has 4 00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:20.320 heard of the phrase mass and casts Melina Cass Boulevard 5 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:26.239 and Massachusetts Avenue. It has been known for years as 6 00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:30.760 an open air drug market, and the people who have 7 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.799 to live in that community with the open air drug 8 00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:39.560 market have not seen this go away. And reading a 9 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:42.880 piece by Gayla Cowley in the Boston Herald this morning, 10 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:49.479 residents are really concerned that it's been two years since 11 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:51.679 the mayor rolled out a plan to clean up the 12 00:00:51.719 --> 00:00:56.600 troubled in intersection. But guess what, mass and cast just 13 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:59.679 doesn't go away there. We've done shows on this, stories 14 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:02.600 on this over the years, and with us tonight is 15 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:10.120 a longtime South End resident, Brian McCarter. Brian, I wish 16 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:13.200 I could give you a solution here. The only thing 17 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:18.159 I can give you is a great deal of sympathy, 18 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:22.920 empathy or whatever. I can't imagine how this sort of 19 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:26.680 an open air drug market would be allowed to continue 20 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:31.280 in any other community. If this was in the Back Bay, 21 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:34.599 it would be shut down. If it was in West Roxbury, 22 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:37.319 it would be shut down. If it was in any suburb, 23 00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:40.519 it would be shut down. But for some reason, I 24 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.159 think the powers that be have decided that hey, out 25 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:47.480 of mind, out of sight, and let the people of 26 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:49.799 the South End deal with it. Welcome to Night's Side, Brian. 27 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:50.239 How are you? 28 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:53.239 I'm thank you for having me on. 29 00:01:54.040 --> 00:01:58.079 Yeah, and I want you to know that I'm I've 30 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:01.280 watched this story evolve over years, and it just seems 31 00:02:01.319 --> 00:02:05.079 it's like a yo yo. It just always comes back. 32 00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:09.479 It just always comes back. You have a long term 33 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:12.719 perspective there. You've lived in that part of the city 34 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:18.120 now for nearly fifteen years. What is the city doing? 35 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:22.000 Are they responding? I assume people must be complaining about it, 36 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:24.360 because who wants that in your backyard? 37 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:25.879 Yeah? 38 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:30.759 In backyard, front yard, sideyard, your commute to your local 39 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:35.199 grocery store, do your coffee shop, any part of your 40 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:39.199 life you are confronted by the open air dark dealing. 41 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:45.960 Boy. This has to be debilitating. You don't want to 42 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:48.639 give up in the neighborhood. Clearly you've been there for 43 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:52.840 fourteen or fifteen years. Have you talked to the mayor, 44 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:56.000 have you talked to the police, commissioner. Do they just 45 00:02:57.199 --> 00:02:59.560 have they done anything? Have they at least tried. 46 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:03.479 Yeah, I've talked with the mayor, I've talked with the 47 00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:08.560 police captain for the area, community service officers, and they 48 00:03:08.599 --> 00:03:11.879 all say it. You know, they're working on it, and 49 00:03:12.039 --> 00:03:14.919 you know, I believe that they're genuine, but at times 50 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.159 it doesn't seem like it's a huge priority for the city. 51 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:21.159 And so you know, maybe they say they want to 52 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:24.039 find a solution and get people into recovery and get 53 00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:27.639 people treatment, but you know, life on the ground doesn't 54 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:31.000 really change much, and it's just frankly getting worse every week. 55 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:36.879 You know, yours is not the only part of the 56 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:39.520 city that's dealing with crime. The more that I talk 57 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:42.639 to people around Boston, I talk to people in West Roxbury, 58 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:45.840 I'm told there's a supermarket in West Roxbury, one of 59 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.560 the nicer sections of the city, where people are literally 60 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:53.840 walking out the door with baskets full of food and 61 00:03:54.599 --> 00:04:00.039 they have to stop people. It's there's stuff going on 62 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:04.000 in Boston that that that we're not seeing. Those of 63 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:07.120 us who no longer live in Boston, who may come 64 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:10.439 into Boston to do some shopping, but you have to 65 00:04:10.439 --> 00:04:13.280 live with this described to the people who are listening 66 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:17.399 tonight who live in the safe comfort of suburbia and 67 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:21.519 who don't have to deal with this, explain what life 68 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:24.680 is like for you in the South End vis a 69 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:27.120 vis the drug dealers and the drug users. 70 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:33.120 Oh, it's it's terrifying. So just imagine if every day 71 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:35.040 you're trying to come home and you have to check 72 00:04:35.079 --> 00:04:36.800 around a corner to see if you're going to get 73 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.199 assaulted again, and you have to call nineer and one 74 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:43.079 to clear the way in order to get anywhere. It's 75 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:46.079 it's nothing else. There's no other place quite like this. 76 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:50.160 You know, you see examples in San Francisco and some 77 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:53.079 other cities, but Boston it's it's not as many people 78 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:57.639 that you know, as these other cities have, so uh, 79 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.600 it's just all concentrated here in that you know, this 80 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:01.439 part of Boston. 81 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:06.759 San Francisco has the Tackleoin. San Francisco has the Tenderloin district, 82 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.920 and it's kind of spread out. Uh, that's that's a 83 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:13.600 mess in San Francisco. But it almost seems like Boston 84 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:18.920 did not heed the warnings or the example of San Francisco. 85 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:23.160 They have tried, have they not down there to do something, 86 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:26.079 but nothing has worked. They were they were going to 87 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:29.879 open up a hotel and have a uh what do 88 00:05:29.959 --> 00:05:33.120 they call it? A low threshold hotel where people could 89 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:36.759 could come and go as they want, use or not 90 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.759 use at whatever their pleasure is. And then they tried 91 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:43.240 to move people. I think, if I'm not mistaken, they 92 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:48.480 wanted to to move them to the Shadow Hospital near 93 00:05:48.519 --> 00:05:52.120 the Franklin Park Zoo. But that didn't seem to work. 94 00:05:52.279 --> 00:05:56.000 Everything they've tried hasn't worked. Is it is it that 95 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:58.879 the the that they're not serious about it? Or do 96 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.160 you think that the solution that have come up with 97 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:05.079 are not what was needed to be done? Is it 98 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:09.759 a question of follow through? If you would become the 99 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:13.839 commissioner of drug enforcement in Boston, there is no such thing, 100 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:16.360 by the way, as far as I know, what would 101 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:19.240 you advise? What would you suggest? What could be done? 102 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:22.759 So first you got to take into account some of 103 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:26.160 the things that there's like two sets of plans, so 104 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:29.839 to speak. There's the harm reduction plans and then there's 105 00:06:29.959 --> 00:06:33.680 the treatment first plans, and so they kind of have 106 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:38.560 slightly different impacts. The hotel that you're talking about is 107 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:41.759 the Roundhouse Hotel where It was exactly as you described. 108 00:06:41.800 --> 00:06:44.439 There was a harm reduction war threshold site. People could 109 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:46.519 come and go as they wanted, and there was no 110 00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:49.040 obligation for them to try to get into treatment and 111 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:51.319 try to get into detox. They could just you know, 112 00:06:51.399 --> 00:06:55.319 continue to use drugs. That became a disaster in our area, 113 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:02.160 crime everywhere, and no cost of fortune, and they got 114 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:07.120 very few people off of drugs. The I guess slightly 115 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:10.920 more aggressive approach is what's called the treatment first, where 116 00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:14.959 you know you've kind of push people into medically assisted 117 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:19.920 detox and longer term to have detox programs, and so 118 00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:24.120 that's a different set of plans, Like Senator Collins has 119 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:27.920 one where we possibly convert a old cruise ship and 120 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.079 then you know, have a three hundred bed detox facility 121 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:34.160 so that we could possibly in bulk get people off 122 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:36.360 of drugs and actually make a vent in this problem. 123 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:38.879 So what we've done in the past hasn't worked for 124 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.480 clearly because we wouldn't be having this conversation, But some 125 00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:44.519 of the ways forward might look a little bit different 126 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:47.319 than if the city were to get to the kind 127 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.120 of leadership we need to do a plan like this 128 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:54.120 and actually solve the problem it could be done. 129 00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:59.519 Has the mayor ever said to you, look, Brian, you're 130 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:02.720 a long time resident of the South End, why don't 131 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:07.959 we schedule a meeting with some representatives of that area 132 00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:11.680 and let me hear from the from the the residents 133 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:14.079 of the areas. There are there any meetings like that 134 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:16.519 that ever occur where she would sit down. 135 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:23.519 Yeah, so I'm talking talk to Meriwu twice and that's caused, 136 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:27.439 you know, an ongoing conversation that she herself needs to 137 00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:30.079 sit in on some of these meetings with self end 138 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:33.720 leadership in order to have these conversations, you know, unfiltered, 139 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:37.440 since that there clearly is a disconnect between what's happening 140 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:39.840 on the ground and what the leadership is saying is 141 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:42.759 supposed to be happening. Yeah, so that's been an evolving 142 00:08:42.840 --> 00:08:44.120 conversation for sure. 143 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:48.000 Okay, let's take a break here, Brian. I want to 144 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:50.799 invite people to call and join the conversation, whether they're 145 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:52.960 in South in the South End or they travel through 146 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:58.480 the South End. This is not fair for one community, 147 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:03.240 one section of Boston to deal with this as often 148 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:09.120 you folks are just bearing the brunt of this. Uh. 149 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:11.639 And it's yeah, if you had twenty five to forty 150 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:14.120 people in front of your place every day, you know, 151 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:18.000 using needles, throwing them everywhere, and you know when people 152 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:20.440 try to offer to help them, they swear at you, 153 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:25.679 and you know they don't they don't want treatment. Yeah, 154 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:27.600 it would be I don't know anyone who would want 155 00:09:27.639 --> 00:09:30.200 to tolerate this for particularly long spans of time. 156 00:09:30.919 --> 00:09:34.759 No, I totally. I'm totally supportive and concerned. That's why 157 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:36.440 we're having you on tonight. Let's and want to hear 158 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:40.279 from as many people in Greater Boston, well in Boston specifically, 159 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:43.200 but in Greater Boston as well. This is this is 160 00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:46.879 a situation that should not be tolerated by this great 161 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.039 American city. Six one seven, two five four, ten thirty 162 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:52.799 or a couple of open lines at six one seven, 163 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.440 nine three one ten thirty back on nights Side right 164 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:59.279 after this, feel free join the conversation, particularly if you 165 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:03.159 have some ideas. We'll be back on Nightside. It's Nightside 166 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:04.159 with Dan Ray on. 167 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:07.039 Boston's news radio. 168 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:14.639 My guest is Brian McCarter, longtime South End resident, and 169 00:10:14.679 --> 00:10:17.759 we want to go to phone calls because it is 170 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:22.559 just not fear that this beautiful section of Boston has 171 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:27.200 to suffer all of the indignity of mass and Cass 172 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:32.480 and the residents of Mass and Cass basically having invaded 173 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:36.080 and set up shop in their neighborhood in what is 174 00:10:36.120 --> 00:10:39.879 an open ear drug market and has been four years. 175 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:43.720 Let's go to Nicky in Boston. Nicky, welcome, You're next 176 00:10:43.720 --> 00:10:45.600 on Nightside, your first this hour. 177 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:48.120 Actually, go right ahead, Hi, Dan, how are you? 178 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:51.799 I'm doing just great? NICKI Are you in the South 179 00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:52.720 End per chance? Or no? 180 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:53.360 Oh? 181 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:56.399 I certainly am so. I own a small restaurant in 182 00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:59.440 the corner of Harrison Avenue and it's East Springfield Street, 183 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.639 so it's a blame from mass av I've been there 184 00:11:02.679 --> 00:11:07.320 for seventeen years, so I have quite a few things 185 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:07.679 to say. 186 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:10.240 Dan. Before you do that, let's give you a restaurant 187 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:12.559 a plug, because maybe we could we could get some 188 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.320 nightside listeners to stop by there this weekend. What's the 189 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:16.440 name of the restaurant if you like? 190 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:19.600 So, the name is Blunch. It's breakfast for lunch or 191 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:21.519 lunch for breakfast. 192 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:22.759 I like that. 193 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:27.000 Yeah, Okay, it's great, by the way. 194 00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:32.960 Okay, thank you. This endorsement from Ryan. All right, so 195 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:35.399 tell us about your experience go ahead. 196 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.879 So I've been there for seventeen years, almost eighteen actually, 197 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:44.720 so I've seen the excursions of such. So in the beginning, 198 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:48.440 it was prostitution in that area. So then when everything 199 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:53.000 got built up towards like State Street where all the 200 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:58.399 drug dealing was going on, and all the buildings were 201 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:00.960 being pushed up, so all of that kind of just 202 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:05.320 spread our way eventually within that seventeen years. So here 203 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:10.320 we are seventeen years later, and there's there's nothing being done. 204 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:16.480 Like there's plans, there's statistics, there's senses, there's all kinds 205 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:19.759 of everything going on, but there's no plan. There was 206 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:22.519 a ten year plan that was ten years ago to 207 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:28.120 help the area. We're saturated with every single city service 208 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:35.240 in the whole Boston proper. So there's like five almost shelters, 209 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:43.559 countless areas of social services. But the problem is it's 210 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:47.039 not only the city's problem anymore. It's the state's problem. 211 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:50.960 So here we are dealing with all politicians, every politician, 212 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:54.039 every part three one, one nine to one one. Every day, 213 00:12:55.559 --> 00:12:58.039 needle count I go out every day needle count I 214 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:01.960 count I get people out of the restaurant. There's people 215 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.679 on top of the restaurant. There's people breaking in constantly. 216 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:12.080 It's it's it's crazy, it's it's not okay. 217 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:13.960 So here I got a question. I got a question 218 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.840 for both you and Brian Nikki, I got a question 219 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:22.320 for both you and Brian. If this situation mass and 220 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:28.120 cast we're in one of the wealthier suburban communities. You 221 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:30.840 can pick the name of the community, whether it's Wellesley 222 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:35.960 or Westland okay, or or if it was in the 223 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:37.480 back Bay or. 224 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:42.440 Square that happened. It's so it spread to back Bay 225 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:45.039 and Beacon Hill and you know, in the span of 226 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:49.080 three weeks they they cleared everyone out of Beacon Hill 227 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:51.759 and Back Bay and sent them back to the South End. 228 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:57.399 So is that because the South End doesn't have the 229 00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:01.080 political power, doesn't have the people who can get the 230 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:03.559 attention to the mayor. I mean, the bike lobby get 231 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:06.399 the intention of mayor Woo and we have bike lanes everywhere. 232 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:11.120 I mean, you know she does respond to constituents, is she? 233 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:12.840 Why is she not responding to. 234 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:13.360 The South End? 235 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:14.759 She does? 236 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:16.720 Jeremy under these. 237 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:22.120 Okay, hold on, go ahead, and problem it's a huge problem. 238 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:24.720 It's it's so much grander than what she is and 239 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:27.440 what she can do and what three to one one 240 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:29.559 can do and what nine to one one can do. 241 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:34.120 It is what I'm reiterating a state's issue. These people 242 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:37.600 are not coming, They're not they're not Boston people. These 243 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:41.639 people are getting busted in from Worcester framing him all 244 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:45.480 the surrounding areas because we in that small part of 245 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:49.879 the South End have everything for them. They can get 246 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:52.519 their drugs, they can go to rehab, they can get 247 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:55.279 a meal, they can stay at home. All in that 248 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:59.679 little area we have all of that. That's a state's problem. 249 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:04.080 It's not the city there will over her head in this. 250 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:10.320 So why is she not Why is she not going 251 00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:13.960 to Governor Heally and to the Attorney general, both of. 252 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:25.399 We haven't heard from her. Where is she? So I 253 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:27.600 don't we don't know why she doesn't go to Marrow 254 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:30.799 Heely and say, you know, go after Boston Public Health, 255 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:34.320 which you know they're essentially funding to perpetuate this instead 256 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:35.960 of get people off of drugs. 257 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:42.039 Okay, well, I think Nicky's point is well taken, But 258 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:47.000 it would seem to me that, uh that a mayor 259 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:50.320 of Boston who feels a section of his or her 260 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:54.759 city is being overwhelmed by anything. I should go to 261 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:57.120 the state and say, hey, we need your help here. 262 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:02.639 If the police in Boston kan't, you know, regulate the 263 00:16:02.679 --> 00:16:06.159 activity there, then maybe she needs to ask for some 264 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.799 state police to come in and back up the Boston police. 265 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.679 I think that there are solutions if people want to 266 00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:13.759 focus on the problem. I don't think they're willing to 267 00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:17.240 focus on the problem. Nikki and Briant, No, I'm. 268 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:20.080 Carry one of the neighborhood leaders asked in like a 269 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:25.120 week ago to go to Governor Healy and the response. 270 00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:26.919 I did as well. I did a couple of weeks 271 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:29.759 ago in a coffee hour. I approached her right up. 272 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:36.840 She's very receptive, but her hands are tied politically and financially. 273 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:40.639 So it's time for this state to step up. And 274 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:41.639 that's my point. 275 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:44.159 I get it. But it seems to me that that 276 00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:48.679 if her hands are tied as mayor, that her next 277 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.159 option would be to go to the governor and say, look, 278 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:56.320 I need some help. And whether it's state police, uh, 279 00:16:57.200 --> 00:16:59.879 you know, more police patrols. If you've got to have 280 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:02.799 some National Guard people there, what's wrong with that? I mean, 281 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:06.200 if if it's become an open air drug market. 282 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:09.480 It is, I mean it it is. 283 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:11.839 I just think that for Mayor Woo to say, well, 284 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:15.480 it's just beyond me, Okay, if it's beyond you, what 285 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.519 can you do? I mean, there has to be a 286 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.279 solution for this, it seems to me. And I know 287 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:23.720 I don't live in the South End, guys, I really don't, 288 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:27.799 but I can't imagine how frustrated I would be if 289 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:30.119 I was in your situation. And I can't tell you 290 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:33.440 how much you know how much I appreciate the fact 291 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.519 that that both of you would take the time to 292 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:39.720 I have more phone calls, So Nicky, thank you, Thank 293 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:43.599 you for for being with us tonight. Feel free to 294 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:46.880 join us any night. But we'll continue to focus on 295 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:48.839 this problem for the people in the South End. I 296 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:52.440 know the South End pretty well. I've had I've had 297 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:56.920 relatives who who lived there. I've had friends who have 298 00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:59.440 lived there. And it's a shame that that part of 299 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:04.599 the city, which forty years ago was really a wasteland, 300 00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:08.480 has come back. It's been gentrified, it's come back, but 301 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:12.839 now it has to deal with mass and casts. Anyway, 302 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:14.359 the big. 303 00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:17.599 Thing Dan It's still a beautiful neighborhood and there's beautiful 304 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:21.240 people and neighbors that care, and that's that's why we're here. 305 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:23.960 Well, and that's why I'm doing a show tonight. That's 306 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:24.599 why I'm doing the. 307 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:26.599 Show, and I appreciate it. Sir, Thank thank you. 308 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:30.160 We'll talk again. Thank you very much, appreciate you. Okay, 309 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:32.000 Brian and I want you to stay with us. We 310 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:34.319 have other phone calls from not only in the city, 311 00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:38.160 but also outside the city. Feel free to join this conversation. 312 00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:41.000 One line open at six one, seven, two, five, four, 313 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:43.839 ten thirty. It just filled back on Nightside right after. 314 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:50.640 This Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio. 315 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:54.960 We're talking about the mass and cass drug market. The 316 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:59.279 open air drug market, which is played plagued this section 317 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:02.279 of the city for years and years and years and 318 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:06.599 nothing has been done about it. If you want to 319 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:10.079 maybe there have been efforts made, but no results produced. 320 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:13.839 Let's go next to Laura in Dorchester. Laura, thanks for 321 00:19:13.880 --> 00:19:16.880 calling Nightside. You're next on Nightside. My guest Brian McCarter. 322 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:20.079 Hi, I'm on speaker, is that okay? 323 00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:22.480 I'd prefer you to be off speaker because we'll be 324 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:24.839 able to hear you. I'm sure Rob might have mentioned 325 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:26.440 that to you if you can. I don't want to 326 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:28.359 lose you as a caller here, but we'll be able 327 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:31.119 to understand what you're saying a lot more clearly. 328 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:37.880 Okay, decades in Dorchester, Okay, it was rough. It's still 329 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:42.720 as rough. But the latest improvement here in near the 330 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:51.240 Fields Corner area is since I contacted the newest community office, 331 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:56.599 which is affiliated with Area Say Police. He's the newest. 332 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:01.079 He's definitely not the person I spoke to six months ago. 333 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:07.880 So I called him on our last issue. And everything's 334 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:13.559 squeaky clean, everything's quiet. I can hear the police during 335 00:20:13.640 --> 00:20:16.839 the night. It's like almost making the rounds, just to 336 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:21.039 let everybody know that they hear. So this is highly residential. 337 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:26.519 I know mass and Casts very well, and I know 338 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:31.319 that's Boston City Hospital, that's healthcare for the homeless. I 339 00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:36.680 can't see any exact residential places, but off you know 340 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:42.599 there are many in the South End. But cameras have 341 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:48.960 helped us in the community officer just recently. He must 342 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:52.000 be new and he doesn't sound like the old one. 343 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:56.640 And I got from the desk officer at the police 344 00:20:56.680 --> 00:21:01.880 station his direct number. And for some reason, things are 345 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:07.519 taking care of very quickly and it's very quiet. That 346 00:21:07.880 --> 00:21:12.200 might be one option. Now in Dorchester and the Dorchester Reporter, 347 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:15.839 there's a list of communities that once a month they 348 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:22.559 have meetings and since COVID they've been on zoom usually. 349 00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:27.000 So, Laura, this is interesting. But we've gone two minutes 350 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:29.680 and twenty seconds here. How does this apply to the 351 00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:32.279 problem we're talking about Mass and cass Fields Corner is 352 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:37.039 pretty good distance from Mass and Cass. 353 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:39.279 Well, you have the same problem. We're right on the 354 00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:42.640 train station, We're right on the red line we had. 355 00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:45.240 So you have an opening drug market there. 356 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:49.559 Well, I wasn't exactly sure about the open drug market. 357 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:55.000 I know that healthcare for the homeless medicates the homeless people. 358 00:21:55.079 --> 00:21:56.480 And now what I'm. 359 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.079 Trying to get at, Laura, and I think you probably 360 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:03.240 have some valuable information. What can you tell my guest, 361 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:08.279 Brian McCarter, What advice could you give him? 362 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:12.480 That the drug addicts and the people who were drugged 363 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:17.640 were on our steps, we couldn't get into our homes. 364 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:20.799 So is that an open drug market? 365 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:25.599 But what advice would you give to my guest? I've 366 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:28.039 asked you the question three times. You're giving me a 367 00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:30.960 lot of interesting information. About Field's Corner. I know Field's 368 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:33.200 Corner very well, played a lot of baseball games. 369 00:22:33.480 --> 00:22:39.200 I went local police station. Okay, let's make get me 370 00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:44.200 the contact information of the community officer, so I would 371 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:46.759 go to his local police station. 372 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:50.279 Okay, have you tried. Let's see if he's done that yet, Brian, 373 00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:52.839 have you have you reached out to the local police station. 374 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:59.440 So, uh yeah, many times I've got the direct emails 375 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:03.079 of the police captain, the community service officer, and the 376 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:06.720 supervisor above the police captain. So that is an avenue 377 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:09.079 when we try to be partners with the police, since 378 00:23:09.880 --> 00:23:12.079 you know, it's an ever present part of our life here, 379 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:16.160 and so we are in constant engagement with police leadership. 380 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:20.839 So I had no results. You wouldn't believe the other 381 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:25.279 issue that was going on here with the homeless holding 382 00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:30.279 cas hostage and demanding money from them, and what I 383 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:34.680 got from the previous community office that was, well, we 384 00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:38.839 can't do anything about panhandless. When I took the pitches 385 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:44.079 of the people holding the cas hostage for seven months 386 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:52.599 and demanding they give them twelve dollars eighteen dollars father drugs, 387 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:57.359 I took it. We got a new community officer so 388 00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:00.000 obviously the previous community officer. 389 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:02.839 Well maybe yeah. I think you've been very lucky with 390 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:07.000 the new community officer, and hopefully Brian, with this information 391 00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:09.720 you can find out who your community officer is. Laura, 392 00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:13.000 I appreciate your experience and I hope that it has 393 00:24:13.559 --> 00:24:16.799 really an effective application in the South End. I appreciate you, 394 00:24:16.839 --> 00:24:19.279 Carl Waura, thank you very much. Let me keep rolling here, 395 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:23.279 going to go next to We're gonna go Mike in Norwood. Mike, 396 00:24:23.319 --> 00:24:25.240 you're next on Nightside. Go right ahead. You're on with 397 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:28.200 my guest, Brian McCarter. He lives in the South End. 398 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:30.680 They're trying to deal with the mass and cast open 399 00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:33.759 air drug market. They're not getting much help out of 400 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:36.079 the mayor's office, and I think we just he dropped off. 401 00:24:36.119 --> 00:24:40.440