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<v Speaker 1>It's Night Side with Dan Ray I WBZ, Boston's radio beggar.

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<v Speaker 2>Dan Watkins appreciated so reading the Boston Globe this morning,

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<v Speaker 2>as I do every morning. First I read the Sports page,

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<v Speaker 2>my favorite part of the Globe, and then I go

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<v Speaker 2>to the news in the Metro section, and a very

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<v Speaker 2>interesting piece by Joan Venaki, a good friend of mine,

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<v Speaker 2>a colleague for many years. We grew up sort of

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<v Speaker 2>as reporters in this city. And she's listening tonight. I

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<v Speaker 2>hope you feel a little bit better. She told us

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<v Speaker 2>she couldn't join us tonight because she was a little

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<v Speaker 2>under the weather. Hope're feeling better, Joan mass and cast

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<v Speaker 2>drug and homeless problems moved to Boston Common. Boston Common.

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<v Speaker 2>That is the headline in the op ed piece on

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<v Speaker 2>a eleven in the Boston Globe today. And I'm just

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<v Speaker 2>gonna read a little bit and then set it up

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<v Speaker 2>for people who do not know what I'm talking about,

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<v Speaker 2>and we'll be talking a moment with Rishi Sukla, who's

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<v Speaker 2>with the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association. She starts off her article,

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<v Speaker 2>which I found it to be really an interesting article.

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<v Speaker 2>Joan wrote this morning a year ago, Boston Mayor Michelle

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<v Speaker 2>wou oversaw the peaceful dismantling of the area around Massachusetts

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<v Speaker 2>Avenue and Melina Cass Boulevard, the epicenter of the city's

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<v Speaker 2>homeless and opioid crisis. So what's known as Mass and Cass,

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<v Speaker 2>what's happening now around Boston Common is more evidence that

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<v Speaker 2>the problems associated with Mass and Casts have not disappeared.

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<v Speaker 2>They have just dispersed. And there are many people who,

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<v Speaker 2>myself included, do not feel that Boston is as friendly

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<v Speaker 2>and as walkable as city, particularly at night, as it

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<v Speaker 2>once was. Now again, we have a homeless crisis in

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<v Speaker 2>this country. Boston is affected like every other city. We

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<v Speaker 2>have a huge drug problem in this country. And we

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<v Speaker 2>saw it at masson Cass and for years, for years,

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<v Speaker 2>and it was allowed to stay there, to grow, to fester,

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<v Speaker 2>and finally, finally it was dispersed. So my question, which

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to open up to the conversation is for

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<v Speaker 2>those of you who come to Boston, do you come

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<v Speaker 2>into the city as often as you used to do

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<v Speaker 2>a few years ago. I mean, there's a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>problems with Boston right now. Okay, it's got a financial problem,

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<v Speaker 2>it has a services problem, it has a school bus problem,

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<v Speaker 2>it has an MBTA problem. We've talked about that, it

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<v Speaker 2>has too many bike lanes. We've talked about that. But

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<v Speaker 2>now the problem that some people are beginning to talk

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<v Speaker 2>about is what's it like around the Boston Common that

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<v Speaker 2>is the jewel of this city. And you can talk

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<v Speaker 2>about the Rose Fitzgerald Greenway, which is beautiful, we can

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<v Speaker 2>talk about Arnold Arboretum, but in terms of the Common,

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<v Speaker 2>it sits really dead center in Boston, bounded on on

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<v Speaker 2>one side by Beacon Street, the other side by Tremont

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<v Speaker 2>Street and Charles Street. Uh at it's at the base

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<v Speaker 2>of the Statehouse, the seat of government. Uh and it

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<v Speaker 2>is a place that most people think of as Boston.

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<v Speaker 2>We had asked some folks if they wanted to join us,

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<v Speaker 2>uh and the first one who is joining us tonight

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<v Speaker 2>as a representative of the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association, uh

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<v Speaker 2>Richi Shukla, was quoted in today's piece by Joan Vanaki.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh and and Rieschi has joined us. Richie Schulkla, welcome

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<v Speaker 2>to Night's side. Your your perspective on this, you are

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<v Speaker 2>quoted in Joan Vanaki's piece this morning, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 2>bring Ricchi up here, uh to talk with You're quoted

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<v Speaker 2>in the Peace by Joean Vanaki this morning as saying

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<v Speaker 2>it is a beautiful and precious jewel. We need to

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<v Speaker 2>keep it that way. However, joe Vanaki writes, he said

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<v Speaker 2>an uptick in open air drug dealing over the past

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<v Speaker 2>six months, which he attributed to the dislocation of the

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<v Speaker 2>mass and cast population, has changed the atmosphere. Welcome to Nightside.

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<v Speaker 3>How are you, Richie, Dan, great good Evan. Thanks for

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<v Speaker 3>having me.

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<v Speaker 2>You're very welcome. First all, tell us the Downtown Boston

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<v Speaker 2>Neighborhood Association. What groove do you represent?

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<v Speaker 3>Sure thing?

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<v Speaker 4>So.

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<v Speaker 3>We are a volunteer led group of residents, business owners,

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<v Speaker 3>property owners, effectively stakeholders here in Downtown Boston that try

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<v Speaker 3>to give voice to residents and all the other stakeholders

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<v Speaker 3>who are living here and doing business here, go to

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<v Speaker 3>school here. And our goal is simple. We care about

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<v Speaker 3>one thing only, which is to improve the quality of

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<v Speaker 3>life for folks who are living here and working here

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<v Speaker 3>and trying to do business here and doing everything we

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<v Speaker 3>can to have great relations with city Hall and with

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<v Speaker 3>our partners in state government to do those sorts of thanks,

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<v Speaker 3>whether it's planning and development, or it's thinking about zoning

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<v Speaker 3>and permitting or public safety. You know, we care a

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<v Speaker 3>lot about the total situation and packageer in downtown. So

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<v Speaker 3>we you know, again volunteers with what a thousand residents

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<v Speaker 3>and members who are part of this group, and this

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<v Speaker 3>is that's an important istion to us.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So, as someone who lives downtown, do you work

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<v Speaker 2>downtown as well?

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<v Speaker 3>I do. I own my own company. I've lived in

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<v Speaker 3>Boston the last twenty five years college, grad school, and

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<v Speaker 3>so you know, I do a lot here in downtown.

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<v Speaker 3>I've got two young kids, my wife and I live

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<v Speaker 3>here as well, so we're doing a lot here in downtown.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, So you're heavily invested. And again, were you quoted

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<v Speaker 2>accurately in Joevanaki's piece today. I just read the quote

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<v Speaker 2>and her characterization of your comments.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah. Look, I think that's exactly right. But the Boston

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<v Speaker 3>comment is absolutely a jewel of our city, and I

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<v Speaker 3>think the deterioration that we've seen is highly problematic and

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<v Speaker 3>it's obvious what the issues are.

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<v Speaker 2>So you attributed to the to the dispersal of the

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<v Speaker 2>folks who had set up shop and been allowed to

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<v Speaker 2>operate at mass and casts for many years. What again,

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<v Speaker 2>I happen to agree with you, but I'd love to

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<v Speaker 2>know describe to us and to my audience. You know

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<v Speaker 2>what you've seen, what you have seen, what you've experienced.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, great, great questioning. Look, I'm in the park every

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<v Speaker 3>single day of the year, you know, but for traveling holidays,

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<v Speaker 3>I've got I've got a puppy. You got two young

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<v Speaker 3>kids who walked to the bus stop. So I probably

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<v Speaker 3>walked three or four miles through the Boston Common and

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<v Speaker 3>through downtown every single day. And so I you know,

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<v Speaker 3>I see it and I experienced it. So I'll tell

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<v Speaker 3>you this. At six am, if you go out front

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<v Speaker 3>of walk your dog in the park, you avoid parts

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<v Speaker 3>of the park because you know there's going to be

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<v Speaker 3>human waste, needles, you might be encountering folks with mental

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<v Speaker 3>health disorder or substance use disorder, and it's just not

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<v Speaker 3>a it's not a safe place for you or your

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<v Speaker 3>pet with your children. You know, we've had stabbings at

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<v Speaker 3>eight o'clock in the morning. Kids are on the way

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<v Speaker 3>to school witnessing these sorts of things. I would say

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<v Speaker 3>in the last couple of weeks, the Boston Police has

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<v Speaker 3>stepped up its efforts to try to clear out some

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<v Speaker 3>of these areas. But as Joe said, you know, dislocating

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<v Speaker 3>issues and diversion, it's it's you know, it's abandoned, right,

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<v Speaker 3>it's a temporary solution, and so that's not going to

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<v Speaker 3>be what causes us to improve the situation long term.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm on the border of Saint francisous for the largest

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<v Speaker 3>day shelter in Massachusetts, from the largest in the country,

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<v Speaker 3>and so when you talk to outreach workers and you

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<v Speaker 3>think about, you know, the work that's being done by

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<v Speaker 3>the city and others the shelters, you kind of know

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<v Speaker 3>the populations that are you know, fairly permanent fixtures so

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<v Speaker 3>to speak. Here in the downtown area, the homeless population,

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<v Speaker 3>and then you've got a large number of new folks

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<v Speaker 3>who come in here from the mass and cast population,

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<v Speaker 3>and with that have come a lot of issues that

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<v Speaker 3>are you know, all kind of highlighted in Jones piece here,

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<v Speaker 3>and that's that's what we're talking about.

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<v Speaker 2>So I I'm very familiar with Boston common For many years,

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<v Speaker 2>I too lived in the Back Bay, worked as a

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<v Speaker 2>television reporter in Boston for WBS see for thirty one years.

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<v Speaker 2>I know the city in my sense on the more

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<v Speaker 2>rare occasions that I find myself on the Boston Common,

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<v Speaker 2>it is not as comfortable a place as it was

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<v Speaker 2>a few years ago. I see it, you know, again,

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<v Speaker 2>every couple of months or so. You see it virtually

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<v Speaker 2>every day. What's the solution?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, Den, It's complicated, right, and I think you know,

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<v Speaker 3>I was at the hearing last week. I testified, and

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<v Speaker 3>my comment is that this is one of these unique

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<v Speaker 3>situations that ordinary people cannot solve on our own right.

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<v Speaker 3>We can't make public policy, we can't enforce the laws,

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<v Speaker 3>we can't arrest, we can't force folks into treatment. So

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<v Speaker 3>we absolutely need our city and state leaders in this case,

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<v Speaker 3>and the District Attorney's office frankly, to step up, do

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<v Speaker 3>their jobs more effectively, and to convene and collaborate. What

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<v Speaker 3>I view, you know, is this being a vacuum of leadership,

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<v Speaker 3>and it's not acceptable. So for folks who've lived here

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<v Speaker 3>and who call downtown in Boston home. This isn't just,

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<v Speaker 3>as you know, just a downtown issue. I mean, this

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<v Speaker 3>issue is spread across South Station Logan Airport, Andrews circling

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<v Speaker 3>in South Boston. It's in different parts of our cities.

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<v Speaker 3>We're simply moving the issue around, which again not a solution.

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<v Speaker 3>Things that are more permanent solutions are reopening the Long

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<v Speaker 3>Island Campus, right, so for listeners who aren't aware of it,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, that's a place where folks used to be

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<v Speaker 3>able to go to get treatment and to be rehabilitated

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<v Speaker 3>and to come out and start their lives over again.

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<v Speaker 3>And we haven't had that solution for some time, and

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<v Speaker 3>so having that accelerated and reopened I think would be

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<v Speaker 3>a great outcome. I think having the Boston Police be

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<v Speaker 3>able to arrest the most violent of criminals and to

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<v Speaker 3>be confident that the District Attorney has their backs in

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<v Speaker 3>terms of prosecuting. They're really have criminals. We're all talking

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<v Speaker 3>about people who are you know, walking out of Roach

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<v Speaker 3>Brothers or Star Market with a loaf of bread to

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<v Speaker 3>feed their family. Nobody wants to see those people reprimand

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<v Speaker 3>and sentenced to you know, a life of hardship because

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<v Speaker 3>of one active of you know, quote unquote criminal activity.

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<v Speaker 3>That's not what we're talking about. We're talking about people

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<v Speaker 3>who are pushing fentandel people who are you know, gang

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<v Speaker 3>on gang violence, who are praying on the homeless. Those

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<v Speaker 3>are the people who need to be taken off our street.

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<v Speaker 3>And the District Attorney's office is Bill Margie's ballent on

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<v Speaker 3>this issue, and so we're trying to convene our city

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<v Speaker 3>state officials that try to do more on this issue.

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<v Speaker 3>We do a lot with the Boston Police, right they

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<v Speaker 3>are doing everything in their control is my view, in

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<v Speaker 3>my opinion, to try to resolve this issue right in

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<v Speaker 3>a in a dignified way, but they only have so

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<v Speaker 3>much power if if you.

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<v Speaker 2>Know, they have to be back, they have to be

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<v Speaker 2>backed by the attorney. Let let me do this, Reachie.

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<v Speaker 2>Let me let me take a break here for a

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<v Speaker 2>couple of commercial messages, and I'll invite people to join

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<v Speaker 2>the conversation. I think I mean virtually agreement with everything

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<v Speaker 2>that you have said, because there are these quality of

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<v Speaker 2>life crimes, these quality of life experience sariances where you're

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<v Speaker 2>walking downtown with a couple of kids and someone's trying

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<v Speaker 2>to come up and get in your face, either to

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<v Speaker 2>confront you or to bake for money, and at some

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<v Speaker 2>point it has to be stopped. I think there needs

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<v Speaker 2>to be a much bigger undercover police presence on the Common,

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<v Speaker 2>so that so that it's people you know, can feel

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<v Speaker 2>safer as they move from, you know, around It's a

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<v Speaker 2>beautiful area. I just think that that once you lose it,

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<v Speaker 2>once you lose the Common. We've seen this uptick of

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<v Speaker 2>crime in New York City. Anybody who goes to New

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<v Speaker 2>York City, in my opinion these days, is nuts because

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<v Speaker 2>you have people who have been murdered on the streets

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<v Speaker 2>of New York for no apparent reason. We've looked at

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<v Speaker 2>people who have serious mental health problems from a society

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<v Speaker 2>point of view, and again I have a lot more

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<v Speaker 2>to say. Let me take a break. If you'd like

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<v Speaker 2>to join the conversation. My guest is Rishi Shukla. He's

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<v Speaker 2>with the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association. Obviously very well spoken,

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<v Speaker 2>very conversant with the area. I'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 2>If you want to add to what Rishi is saying,

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<v Speaker 2>or if you want to disagree, you are more than

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<v Speaker 2>welcome to have a good conversation here on Nightside, because

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<v Speaker 2>once we lose Boston Common, we're going to lose a

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<v Speaker 2>big important section of the city and it's just not

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<v Speaker 2>wealthy people who live in the upper ends of Beacon

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<v Speaker 2>Street or on Beacon Hill. It is a place where

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<v Speaker 2>everyone should feel welcome. Six one, seven, two, five, four,

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<v Speaker 2>ten thirty six one seven, nine, three, one, ten thirty.

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<v Speaker 2>Those are the two numbers that will get you on.

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<v Speaker 2>We'll be back on night Side talking about safety, crime

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<v Speaker 2>on the Boston Common and generally in Boston. I think

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<v Speaker 2>Boston statistically is going in It has a lot to

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<v Speaker 2>be proud of. The murder rate in Boston is down.

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<v Speaker 2>But whatever decisions and policies and programs have been used

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<v Speaker 2>in some parts of the city to cut the murder

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<v Speaker 2>rate down, that again, that police presence has to be

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<v Speaker 2>spread throughout the city. And let's start with the Boston Common.

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<v Speaker 2>Back on Nightside right after this.

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<v Speaker 1>Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World

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<v Speaker 1>night Side Studios on w b Z the News Radio.

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<v Speaker 2>We'll talk with Ricky Scholka, who was quoted today in

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<v Speaker 2>Joe Venaki's piece in the Boston Globe. Mass and cast,

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<v Speaker 2>drug and homeless problems moved to Boston Common. Rischi is

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<v Speaker 2>the co founder of the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association. If

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<v Speaker 2>you'd like to join the conversation. I'm with you, Richie.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that a lot of times the most important

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<v Speaker 2>part of this Boston city is ignored. Let's go to

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<v Speaker 2>Chris in Boston see what he has to say. Chris, welcome.

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<v Speaker 2>You're on a night side with Dan Ray along with

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<v Speaker 2>Rishi Sholka, co founder of the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association.

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<v Speaker 2>Your thoughts on the issue we're talking about, and specifically

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<v Speaker 2>Joevenaki's call him in the Globe today?

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<v Speaker 4>Absolutely good? Even Dan, how you doing this evening?

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<v Speaker 2>Good? Doing great?

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<v Speaker 4>Chris, That's good. It's getting really cold, and I'm getting

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<v Speaker 4>really worried about the people out in the streets of Boston.

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<v Speaker 4>For many years, I've been called Boston the city of

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<v Speaker 4>broken dreams, and ever since Maji Menino died, it's just

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<v Speaker 4>now get to the point it scares me. And it's

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<v Speaker 4>proven to the point that when I call Boston the

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<v Speaker 4>city of broken dreams, it's starting to show more and more.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, so what is your experience been, Chris. I know

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<v Speaker 2>you've called me before, but refresh my recollection. Are you

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<v Speaker 2>involved in any of these issues? You know, either either good,

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<v Speaker 2>bad or indifferent?

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<v Speaker 5>Well, you know, everything's getting expensive, and then it comes

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<v Speaker 5>to the working class. Now it's becoming to be the poor,

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<v Speaker 5>to the point that all he's doing is pushing people

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<v Speaker 5>out in the reads. And for example, when you see

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<v Speaker 5>mass and casts, these people are out there are just

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<v Speaker 5>like once like us, but because they're facing problems, they're like,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, well, who cares, I'm going to do drugs, I'm.

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<v Speaker 4>Going to hang out in the streets.

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<v Speaker 5>I can't afford rent, you know, I can't afford anything,

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<v Speaker 5>because you know, everything's so difficult these days. And then

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<v Speaker 5>you got and then you got news media out there

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<v Speaker 5>during the news before talking about well if this person's

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<v Speaker 5>in the poors and this and that, y'ah, yeah, I'm

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<v Speaker 5>sitting there like well, ain't got the mayor's responsibilities. As

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<v Speaker 5>she said before she became mayor, that hey, this is Boston,

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<v Speaker 5>the city for the people, meaning it's supposed to be

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<v Speaker 5>sitting for the people. It don't matter if you're rich

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<v Speaker 5>or working class, supposed to take care of everybody, just

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<v Speaker 5>like how.

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<v Speaker 2>And obviously you need people with all sorts of skill sets.

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<v Speaker 2>You and I agree on that. So you know, when

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<v Speaker 2>you need college professors and you need doctors, and you

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<v Speaker 2>need lawyers, but you also need plumbers and electricians. Uh.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know there are there are older people, there

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<v Speaker 2>are people who have disabilities, there are people who have

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<v Speaker 2>addiction problems. You're right, it's a it's a it's a

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<v Speaker 2>very complicated population. So what do you think we could

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<v Speaker 2>do in the short run or in the long run

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<v Speaker 2>that would get us back to maybe how what the

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<v Speaker 2>feel of Boston was when Tom Monina was mayor. He's

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<v Speaker 2>not coming back, obviously.

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<v Speaker 4>I know, I know, and I miss him. See Tom

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<v Speaker 4>took pride. That's the good thing about Tom Menino. That's

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<v Speaker 4>why he was the run as long as mayor, because

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<v Speaker 4>he cared about the people in Boston.

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<v Speaker 2>By the way, By the way, I just want to Chris,

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<v Speaker 2>let me agree with you. He had no political aspirations

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<v Speaker 2>beyond being mayor. He was that to him was the

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<v Speaker 2>most important job in the world. But what what do

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<v Speaker 2>you think needs to be done? Just tell me that,

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<v Speaker 2>and then I got to get you got a break

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<v Speaker 2>for new Go ahead, tell me what what you if

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<v Speaker 2>you're mayor? What would you see? How did you see done?

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<v Speaker 4>I really wish Boston become more of a diversity for

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<v Speaker 4>everybody that is not being so divided? Am I making

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<v Speaker 4>sense here?

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<v Speaker 2>Well? You are, But the problem is right now, So

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<v Speaker 2>what do you do for people we're talking about the

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<v Speaker 2>Boston Common. What do you do for people who are

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<v Speaker 2>addicted and who are you're sleeping on park benches in

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<v Speaker 2>the Boston Common or whatever and getting into trouble? Uh

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<v Speaker 2>do you do you have? Do you open up more shelters? Uh?

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<v Speaker 2>Do you do you bring the police? I think one

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<v Speaker 2>of the things you can do is bring undercovered police

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<v Speaker 2>officers into the common to make sure that people feel

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<v Speaker 2>a little safer if you're coming in with your kids

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<v Speaker 2>or your wife, your husband, you know, do that on

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<v Speaker 2>the one hand, so you're you're maintaining some order. At

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<v Speaker 2>the same time, try to get people who do have

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<v Speaker 2>these addiction problems into programs that can help them get

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<v Speaker 2>rid of.

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<v Speaker 4>Them exactly like help out the people that struggle and

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<v Speaker 4>get them out the streets.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, I believe, strongly believe knowledge is but to

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<v Speaker 5>say that nobody doesn't deserve the stuff one to be

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<v Speaker 5>out in the streets as.

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<v Speaker 4>Human beings to we all got to take k each.

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<v Speaker 5>Other because that's what God wants all of us to do.

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<v Speaker 5>If we all God's children, I don't see if you're

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<v Speaker 5>rich poor, I don't care what political We all got

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<v Speaker 5>to take k each other and that's there.

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<v Speaker 2>There are some people, though, Chris, who was who? And

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<v Speaker 2>I think you might agree, you might disagree. You can

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<v Speaker 2>tell me I'm right, you can tell me I'm wrong.

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<v Speaker 2>There are some people out there who were so so

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<v Speaker 2>deep into addiction or or who have such mental health

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<v Speaker 2>issues they don't want I've talked to people when I

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<v Speaker 2>was a reporter. They they didn't want to go to

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<v Speaker 2>the Pine Street end. They prefer to sleep over a

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<v Speaker 2>great uh as long as they they didn't want to

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<v Speaker 2>be bothered. They didn't want to be bothered by anybody.

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<v Speaker 2>They wanted to do their own thing. How do you

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<v Speaker 2>reach those people?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, they don't want to be in a jam pack

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<v Speaker 4>well shelter where there's issues and problem.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, what do you do with them? You can't put

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<v Speaker 2>them up in the rich Carlton, Nope.

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<v Speaker 5>It has to be a development to build housing for

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<v Speaker 5>these type of people to have roof over their head

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<v Speaker 5>and get some type of treatment of help in many

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<v Speaker 5>different ways.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, Chris, Chris, I hate to do this, but

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<v Speaker 2>we've we're flat up against the nine thirty news. So

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<v Speaker 2>I got a break, but as always, thank you for listening,

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<v Speaker 2>thank you for calling, thank you for providing your perspective

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<v Speaker 2>to my show.

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<v Speaker 5>Absolutely God bless you.

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<v Speaker 2>Dan Wright. Back at you, Chris, Merry Christmas. Okay, get

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<v Speaker 2>you there all right? Uh we will continue, Uh, Richie.

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<v Speaker 2>I I wanted to deal with Chris myself. I could

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<v Speaker 2>have put him on with you. But what I'm looking

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<v Speaker 2>for is I want to get some callers for you.

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<v Speaker 2>People maybe see some of the same problems that you

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<v Speaker 2>see related to the and what needs to be done. Again,

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<v Speaker 2>talk is cheap, but I think some I specifically throw

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<v Speaker 2>out that we should have more undercover police officers on

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<v Speaker 2>the Common throughout the day, more at night than necessarily

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<v Speaker 2>during the day, but twenty four hours a day, just

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<v Speaker 2>to make sure that people are safe, because if people

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<v Speaker 2>aren't safe, nothing will will will destroy the city more

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<v Speaker 2>quickly than that. I'd like to talk with you about

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<v Speaker 2>that when we come back. We got to take quick

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<v Speaker 2>news breaks, So think about that. And if you agree

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<v Speaker 2>with me, Recie, great, If you don't feel free, We're

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<v Speaker 2>just struggling for ideas here tonight, how to make how

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<v Speaker 2>to make sure that Boston Common doesn't turn into the

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<v Speaker 2>next massive gas Back on Nightside right after the news

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<v Speaker 2>I got some open line six one, seven, two, five,

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<v Speaker 2>four ten thirty six, one seven, nine three ten thirty

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<v Speaker 2>Back on night Side right after.

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<v Speaker 1>This night Side with Dan Ray, Boston's News Radio.

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<v Speaker 2>My guest is Richie Schukele, co founder of the Downtown

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<v Speaker 2>Boston Neighborhood Association, and he is concerned about what has

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<v Speaker 2>been going on at the at the Boston Common. Richie,

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<v Speaker 2>we have some problems in Boston that that apparently today

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<v Speaker 2>there is a member of the City Council who's now

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<v Speaker 2>under investigation for some reason by the Justice Department, by

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<v Speaker 2>the US Attorney's Office. That is never helpful because you

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<v Speaker 2>never know where those sorts of investigations lead. Do you

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<v Speaker 2>sense or do you get a sense that the people

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<v Speaker 2>in city Hall, from the mayor on down are spending

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<v Speaker 2>any time on the Common? They are they seeing how

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<v Speaker 2>how people are behaving as to what it's like over there.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, again, I realized that the Common is an extraordin,

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<v Speaker 2>really important part of the city, but the city has

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<v Speaker 2>made up of many, many neighborhoods other than the Common.

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<v Speaker 2>People again, in positions of leadership, spending the time they

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<v Speaker 2>need to to understand what's going on in the common.

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<v Speaker 3>I think the quick answer is absolutely not. We we

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<v Speaker 3>have a lot of things we had to worry about

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<v Speaker 3>in Boston, obviously, and I think with the councilor obviously

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<v Speaker 3>what the process tickets course, and let's see what comes

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<v Speaker 3>with this.

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<v Speaker 2>But that is I'm not convicted. I'm not convicting anybody.

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<v Speaker 2>But at the same time, right when that happens, I've

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<v Speaker 2>seen this movie before. It's sometimes no, no, well, look

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<v Speaker 2>it's not it's not helpful.

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<v Speaker 3>We're looking for leadership. Having these sources of issues pop

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<v Speaker 3>up what seems to be every three or four months

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<v Speaker 3>in the city council, that's just not good. It's not helpful,

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<v Speaker 3>it's not effective. We had a hearing last week and

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00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:52.559
<v Speaker 3>we had a total of four city councilors show up

420
00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:55.200
<v Speaker 3>to the hearing. Right, we had the sponsor, we had

421
00:22:55.240 --> 00:22:57.680
<v Speaker 3>the chair, and we had two other counselors show up.

422
00:22:58.920 --> 00:23:01.039
<v Speaker 2>That's, by the way, for those you know, that's a

423
00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:03.839
<v Speaker 2>thirteen member city council. Yeah.

424
00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:05.839
<v Speaker 3>I couldn't say how disappointed I was. And to schedule

425
00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:08.680
<v Speaker 3>it on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This isn't my first rodeo.

426
00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.240
<v Speaker 3>I mean, you can't bury this story. That's not something

427
00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:13.279
<v Speaker 3>that I'm going to allow as leader here in downtown.

428
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:16.240
<v Speaker 3>I'm a volunteer. Look, I have no agenda, i have

429
00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:19.519
<v Speaker 3>no two to four year commitment. I'm not beholden to

430
00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:21.359
<v Speaker 3>a term. I'm just the guy who's trying to get

431
00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:23.039
<v Speaker 3>things done on behalf of people who live are most

432
00:23:23.079 --> 00:23:26.119
<v Speaker 3>importantly my kids. And so what I take issue with

433
00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:30.720
<v Speaker 3>is the lack of focus, sustained leadership. I can't tell

434
00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:33.079
<v Speaker 3>you how many conversations I've had with folks in law enforcement.

435
00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:35.680
<v Speaker 3>It's not just the Boston police, who are just fed

436
00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:38.480
<v Speaker 3>up with a couple of things. One, it's so hard

437
00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:40.200
<v Speaker 3>to recruit good men and women who want to be

438
00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:42.160
<v Speaker 3>officers in Boston because of all the things that have

439
00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:44.200
<v Speaker 3>gone on for the last four or five years. So

440
00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:46.119
<v Speaker 3>there's a moral issue, and it's hard to get talented.

441
00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:48.519
<v Speaker 3>And number two, you're trying to do your job as

442
00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:51.720
<v Speaker 3>an officer only to have folks like the District Attorney's

443
00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:54.240
<v Speaker 3>office go back and send people back to the street

444
00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:58.519
<v Speaker 3>with no repercussion, it seems. And so that's demoralizing. I mean,

445
00:23:58.519 --> 00:24:01.640
<v Speaker 3>who wants that? And so for my you know, being

446
00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:04.720
<v Speaker 3>the mayor, of Boston is you're the chief executive. Your job,

447
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:06.839
<v Speaker 3>in my opinion, and the governor it's the same thing,

448
00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:09.960
<v Speaker 3>is to convene all of the leaders. Your executives are

449
00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:12.920
<v Speaker 3>the city and state agencies that make policy and that

450
00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.839
<v Speaker 3>govern public health and public safety. They need to be

451
00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:17.079
<v Speaker 3>walked up in a room with that said, in the

452
00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:19.559
<v Speaker 3>hearing until we figure out the three or four things

453
00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:22.119
<v Speaker 3>we can do to actually fix the problem on the

454
00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:24.240
<v Speaker 3>Boston Common and by the way, with Pike Session, that

455
00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:26.599
<v Speaker 3>impacts the rest of the city. So what's good for

456
00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:29.279
<v Speaker 3>one citizen here should be good for everybody, is my view.

457
00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:30.920
<v Speaker 3>And I don't care if that's the museum issue that

458
00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:33.200
<v Speaker 3>you know, folks you're talking about with kids in Boston

459
00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:36.119
<v Speaker 3>versus private schools versus all that. Everything that we do

460
00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:38.759
<v Speaker 3>as a city should be good for everybody. That's my

461
00:24:38.839 --> 00:24:41.039
<v Speaker 3>general view of the world. And so what we're talking about,

462
00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:44.200
<v Speaker 3>I hope is not controversial. And look, downtown, I think

463
00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:48.039
<v Speaker 3>you're spot on. Downtown Boston is a transit hub as well,

464
00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:51.119
<v Speaker 3>So we have more foot traffic coming through downtown than

465
00:24:51.160 --> 00:24:54.319
<v Speaker 3>anywhere else in New England, right, and so it's an

466
00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:56.160
<v Speaker 3>easy place to come into to get out of and

467
00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:59.000
<v Speaker 3>that's that's good in general, but when you're talking about

468
00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:02.680
<v Speaker 3>criminal activity the focus of our conversation, it also makes

469
00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:05.880
<v Speaker 3>it a lot more attractive to, you know, hang out

470
00:25:05.960 --> 00:25:08.119
<v Speaker 3>later on the Boston Common because you can get away

471
00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:10.440
<v Speaker 3>on the subways, you can go into the elevators, you

472
00:25:10.519 --> 00:25:13.079
<v Speaker 3>can hide in the headhouses, and so there's a lot

473
00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:16.039
<v Speaker 3>of ingress egress opportunity in and around the Common, which

474
00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:18.759
<v Speaker 3>just makes it that much more challenging. And finally, from

475
00:25:18.759 --> 00:25:22.559
<v Speaker 3>a law enforcement perspective, you've got Boston Police, MBT, Transit Police,

476
00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:25.559
<v Speaker 3>STUFFOC and Emerson Police departments. You have a lot of

477
00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:28.440
<v Speaker 3>different jurisdictional challenges you had to deal with as well.

478
00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:31.359
<v Speaker 3>The park rangers as well, which is another opportunity. But

479
00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:35.720
<v Speaker 3>it's a really complicated issue, which means that our leaders

480
00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:39.039
<v Speaker 3>need to spend more time and devote more attention to

481
00:25:39.400 --> 00:25:42.359
<v Speaker 3>the problem here. And so I would very much like

482
00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:45.920
<v Speaker 3>to see our mayor, our city council, the leaders of

483
00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:48.880
<v Speaker 3>all the public health and safety agencies come together with

484
00:25:48.920 --> 00:25:51.759
<v Speaker 3>the civic leaders, with all the business stakeholders and say,

485
00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:55.000
<v Speaker 3>put us out of the partnership, put us ode election year. Nonsense,

486
00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:58.000
<v Speaker 3>let's actually fixed the damn issue. Part in the language there.

487
00:25:58.279 --> 00:26:00.279
<v Speaker 3>It's just it's an infuriating thing when you go to

488
00:26:00.319 --> 00:26:02.920
<v Speaker 3>a city council hearing and you get four out of

489
00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:05.519
<v Speaker 3>thirteen people to show up, and you have one city

490
00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:07.720
<v Speaker 3>councilor or maybe two, you know, I would say counselor

491
00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:11.160
<v Speaker 3>Flint and a few others have been hammering home this point.

492
00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:13.000
<v Speaker 3>We need more officers, we do a better job, and

493
00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:15.359
<v Speaker 3>then you have others who it seems like are completely

494
00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:17.799
<v Speaker 3>disconnected from reality in terms of what the issues are.

495
00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:20.640
<v Speaker 3>And so this is one of these issues that I

496
00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:23.799
<v Speaker 3>think is so important to so many people, and it's

497
00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:26.119
<v Speaker 3>struck an earth. We had three hundred and twenty residents

498
00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:28.119
<v Speaker 3>and business owners respond to our survey. We have a

499
00:26:28.200 --> 00:26:31.359
<v Speaker 3>thousand members. Right to put in perspective, we've never gotten

500
00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:33.400
<v Speaker 3>three hundred people to respond to anything, you know, at

501
00:26:33.400 --> 00:26:35.039
<v Speaker 3>best we get fifty to one hundred people to reply

502
00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:37.839
<v Speaker 3>to things. And so this is a this is a

503
00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:42.519
<v Speaker 3>really really important wake up moment that that I hope

504
00:26:42.839 --> 00:26:45.880
<v Speaker 3>hits home with with our city and state leaders. And

505
00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:48.720
<v Speaker 3>I'm not going to step down until we get the

506
00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:49.720
<v Speaker 3>attention that this deserves.

507
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:53.240
<v Speaker 2>But by the way, the survey that you're referring to

508
00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:57.160
<v Speaker 2>was mentioned in Joe Venaki's piece and The Globe Today

509
00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:00.519
<v Speaker 2>that of the three hundred residents who respond to a

510
00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:05.400
<v Speaker 2>survey like Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association, seventy one percent reported

511
00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:08.200
<v Speaker 2>feeling less safe in the area of the Common.

512
00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:13.680
<v Speaker 3>They let that sink in, right, That's that's a crazy number,

513
00:27:13.720 --> 00:27:16.119
<v Speaker 3>and hugely eight percent of the people said there's no

514
00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:18.359
<v Speaker 3>change in their perception of safety. So you know what

515
00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:20.440
<v Speaker 3>I said last week is I don't know where people

516
00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:23.359
<v Speaker 3>were mentally a year ago at the beginning of the year.

517
00:27:23.880 --> 00:27:27.519
<v Speaker 3>No change. Let's assume it's average. That's still a ridiculous number, right,

518
00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:29.880
<v Speaker 3>seventy one percent of people. And when you ask the

519
00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:32.480
<v Speaker 3>same question or how urgent you think this matter is

520
00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:35.839
<v Speaker 3>public safety on the Boston Common, ninety three percent of

521
00:27:35.880 --> 00:27:39.359
<v Speaker 3>people who responded give it a seven, eight, nine or ten. Right,

522
00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:42.039
<v Speaker 3>This is a very urgent issue. So this is some

523
00:27:42.119 --> 00:27:45.079
<v Speaker 3>anecdotal thing where we're fair mongering, as some city councilors

524
00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:47.400
<v Speaker 3>want to suggest. That's not what this is. And I

525
00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:49.480
<v Speaker 3>agree with what you set up front, and Joan mentioned this,

526
00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:51.839
<v Speaker 3>We are one of the safest cities in the country.

527
00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:56.279
<v Speaker 3>When you specifically talk about homicides and violent crime. What

528
00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:59.000
<v Speaker 3>that does not include are all these other qualities of

529
00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:03.279
<v Speaker 3>life issues, right, the petty theft, it's the intimidation, right,

530
00:28:03.400 --> 00:28:06.240
<v Speaker 3>it's the needles, it's the children who are seeing violence.

531
00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:09.839
<v Speaker 3>Those are things that people don't measure, they don't talk about,

532
00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:12.119
<v Speaker 3>and those are just convenient left out of the conversation.

533
00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:14.960
<v Speaker 3>So I take issue when I hear our elected officials

534
00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:17.400
<v Speaker 3>fight that statistic over and over and over as a

535
00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:20.559
<v Speaker 3>rebuttal to you know, residents and people who are raising

536
00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:22.799
<v Speaker 3>the issue for all the rifle reasons.

537
00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:25.720
<v Speaker 2>Well, from where I'm sitting and I no longer live

538
00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:28.960
<v Speaker 2>in Boston, but I watched the city council and with

539
00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:34.039
<v Speaker 2>two or three exceptions, Ed Flynn being probably primary amongst

540
00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:37.519
<v Speaker 2>the city councilors who really like his dad, care about

541
00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:40.359
<v Speaker 2>the city. I was a TV reporter when ray Flynn

542
00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:43.240
<v Speaker 2>was mayor, and I mean there wasn't a fire in

543
00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:46.200
<v Speaker 2>the city that Ray Flynn didn't get to, okay, and

544
00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:49.039
<v Speaker 2>he was there to support the community. And I mean

545
00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:52.440
<v Speaker 2>it's that sort of leadership that we're missing now. Tom Andino.

546
00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:58.119
<v Speaker 2>You knew that Tom Menino had no political aspirations beyond mayor,

547
00:28:59.240 --> 00:29:03.720
<v Speaker 2>that he he would you know, finish his career in

548
00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:07.759
<v Speaker 2>city Hall, and that was his goal. I don't know

549
00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:09.799
<v Speaker 2>that the current mayor, and I'm not here to bash

550
00:29:09.880 --> 00:29:14.279
<v Speaker 2>the current mayor is going to be a long term mayor.

551
00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:19.640
<v Speaker 2>I think that she probably has eyes on other offices,

552
00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:23.359
<v Speaker 2>and that's not good. I mean the city of Boston,

553
00:29:23.400 --> 00:29:26.319
<v Speaker 2>the mayor of Boston, that should be a person who

554
00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:30.039
<v Speaker 2>was committed. You know. Again, I go back to the

555
00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:34.839
<v Speaker 2>days of Kevin White, who served four terms as mayor

556
00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:37.799
<v Speaker 2>at a very critical time in Boston, from the late

557
00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:42.319
<v Speaker 2>sixties through all of the nineteen seventies when frankly, the

558
00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:46.400
<v Speaker 2>Back Bay was not what it is today. Believe me,

559
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:52.240
<v Speaker 2>it changed, and it changed for the better because of

560
00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:56.039
<v Speaker 2>Kevin White, Ray Flynn who was elected three times, and

561
00:29:56.079 --> 00:29:59.720
<v Speaker 2>then Tominino who was elected five times. We were blessed

562
00:29:59.799 --> 00:30:03.960
<v Speaker 2>with those mayors and Marty Walsh also very connected to

563
00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:07.839
<v Speaker 2>the city. I got to take one more break, and

564
00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:11.799
<v Speaker 2>I will invite anyone to call and offer their thoughts

565
00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:16.279
<v Speaker 2>on traveling into Boston. We're changing topics at ten o'clock,

566
00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:18.359
<v Speaker 2>so if you want to get in, now's the time.

567
00:30:18.440 --> 00:30:21.359
<v Speaker 2>Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty six one seven,

568
00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:24.039
<v Speaker 2>nine three one ten thirty. You know, many people will

569
00:30:24.039 --> 00:30:26.000
<v Speaker 2>say to me, where you going to do this topic?

570
00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:27.720
<v Speaker 2>You got to do that topic. This is a topic

571
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:30.839
<v Speaker 2>that affects everybody. If you live in the suburbs and

572
00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:33.119
<v Speaker 2>you want to commit occasionally to go to to see

573
00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:35.200
<v Speaker 2>a play or to go to a ball game, you

574
00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:38.400
<v Speaker 2>want to feel secure in coming into Boston. I don't

575
00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:41.119
<v Speaker 2>feel as secure as I once did. Uh, And I

576
00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:43.400
<v Speaker 2>think most people agree with me, not only people in

577
00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:47.000
<v Speaker 2>your survey who spend time and live in the area

578
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:50.039
<v Speaker 2>of the Boston Common but for those of us who

579
00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:53.240
<v Speaker 2>come in and go to restaurants and go to theater districts,

580
00:30:53.599 --> 00:30:57.039
<v Speaker 2>it's become less and less and eventually that will cost

581
00:30:57.200 --> 00:30:59.359
<v Speaker 2>this city badly. We'll be back on nights. I feel

582
00:30:59.359 --> 00:31:02.640
<v Speaker 2>free join the car conversation right after this. My guest

583
00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:05.279
<v Speaker 2>on the line delighted to have with me, Ricchi Shukla.

584
00:31:05.839 --> 00:31:09.680
<v Speaker 2>He's the co founder of the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association

585
00:31:09.960 --> 00:31:12.759
<v Speaker 2>and he has been very candid in his comments Tonight

586
00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:13.880
<v Speaker 2>back on Nightside after this.

587
00:31:14.680 --> 00:31:17.839
<v Speaker 1>Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World

588
00:31:17.960 --> 00:31:22.680
<v Speaker 1>Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.

589
00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:27.400
<v Speaker 2>With me is Ricchi Sulkla Recchi. There's a, there's a

590
00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:30.839
<v Speaker 2>great website called universal Hub, and I was just looking

591
00:31:30.839 --> 00:31:33.680
<v Speaker 2>at it. Uh. A guy who was charged with shooting

592
00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:39.640
<v Speaker 2>eight in pre carnival gun battle shot eight people, removes

593
00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:42.960
<v Speaker 2>his GPS device and flees on eve of his trial.

594
00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:49.039
<v Speaker 2>Uh Uh. Boston police put out an APB for Gerald Vick,

595
00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:51.720
<v Speaker 2>who didn't show up at Suffolk Superior Court for his

596
00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:55.799
<v Speaker 2>scheduled trial yesterday, meaning December two, on charges he shot

597
00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:59.599
<v Speaker 2>eight people, not two, not four, not six, eight people

598
00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:04.599
<v Speaker 2>during the carnival celebration in August of twenty twenty three.

599
00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:09.519
<v Speaker 2>He had been held on six thousand dollars bail and

600
00:32:09.720 --> 00:32:12.720
<v Speaker 2>ordered to home confinement. He cut off his GPS and

601
00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:18.039
<v Speaker 2>left town. I hold that at the at the feet

602
00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:20.759
<v Speaker 2>of the District Attorney's office, that's for sure. Kevin Hayden,

603
00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:24.240
<v Speaker 2>wake up. Let me go to Brian in Somerville. Hey, Brian, welcome,

604
00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:28.200
<v Speaker 2>you are on with Richie Schukell. Go right ahead, Brian, Hey,

605
00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:28.799
<v Speaker 2>good evening.

606
00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:32.440
<v Speaker 6>I run into make two points. Longtime Boston resident, lived

607
00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:34.960
<v Speaker 6>in the South End for eight years now in Summerville,

608
00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:38.039
<v Speaker 6>right near Davis Square. I see a lot of parallels

609
00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:42.279
<v Speaker 6>from what Richie's describing and what we are experiencing around

610
00:32:42.359 --> 00:32:45.559
<v Speaker 6>Davis Square. We opened a methadone clinic last year. It's

611
00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:49.240
<v Speaker 6>brought some of that kind of noise and friction into

612
00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:51.920
<v Speaker 6>the community. A lot of neighborhoods are now popping up

613
00:32:52.279 --> 00:32:55.680
<v Speaker 6>individual groups that are routinely giving feedback to our local mayor.

614
00:32:56.039 --> 00:32:58.400
<v Speaker 6>I wonder if there's parallels from other towns that are

615
00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:02.400
<v Speaker 6>experiencing some of the stuff around subways, around common areas

616
00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:05.079
<v Speaker 6>like here at Stavis Square and Porter Square and some

617
00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:08.480
<v Speaker 6>of what you're experiencing in Boston, and maybe there's collaboration

618
00:33:08.599 --> 00:33:12.119
<v Speaker 6>opportunities with some people who are trying innovative approaches to

619
00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:13.160
<v Speaker 6>address some of these things.

620
00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:15.440
<v Speaker 2>Okay, let's see what Richie has to say. Racie, did

621
00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:17.720
<v Speaker 2>you hear Brian's comments? Yeah?

622
00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:20.720
<v Speaker 3>Thanks, thanks for the question. I think there's absolutely a

623
00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:23.720
<v Speaker 3>need for us to what i'd say, be less insulid

624
00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:25.920
<v Speaker 3>here in the Boston area and learn from other parts

625
00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:28.240
<v Speaker 3>of our state and our country, by the way, in

626
00:33:28.279 --> 00:33:30.799
<v Speaker 3>terms of what else we can be doing to improve

627
00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:33.839
<v Speaker 3>the situation. I think what we're describing Summerville, I mean,

628
00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:38.839
<v Speaker 3>there's there there are trade offs to you know, to

629
00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:42.079
<v Speaker 3>be well understood in terms of setting up clinics, thinking

630
00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:45.920
<v Speaker 3>about different approaches to the housing. All of this is interconnected. Obviously,

631
00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:48.759
<v Speaker 3>it's multi dimensional. And so I don't know that we

632
00:33:48.759 --> 00:33:51.599
<v Speaker 3>have the luxury of experimenting anymore here in Boston. And

633
00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:55.559
<v Speaker 3>so I think root cause issues. You know, you started

634
00:33:55.559 --> 00:33:59.920
<v Speaker 3>off down with the this person who was charged with

635
00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:03.599
<v Speaker 3>shooting eight people? In what world do we let somebody

636
00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:07.079
<v Speaker 3>out on bill who has done that? That is that

637
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:11.440
<v Speaker 3>is apparently absurd, right, I mean, it was just attorney

638
00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:11.880
<v Speaker 3>to do that.

639
00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:15.920
<v Speaker 2>But but the bail was six thousand dollars. I mean,

640
00:34:16.039 --> 00:34:19.400
<v Speaker 2>if you're shooting eight people, I'm assuming you can probably

641
00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:21.559
<v Speaker 2>come up with the six thousand dollars, which he did.

642
00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:23.960
<v Speaker 2>They put him on a GPS. I just happened to

643
00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:26.079
<v Speaker 2>notice that article. And what does that say about the

644
00:34:26.119 --> 00:34:27.880
<v Speaker 2>District Attorney's office in Boston?

645
00:34:28.199 --> 00:34:32.800
<v Speaker 3>That basic the agenda, you know, the same nobody. Nobody

646
00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:36.039
<v Speaker 3>elected somebody to do that. Nobody. I don't know of

647
00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:38.159
<v Speaker 3>any reasonab people who say, hey, that's a great idea,

648
00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:40.239
<v Speaker 3>let's let's put the way back on the street after

649
00:34:40.280 --> 00:34:42.880
<v Speaker 3>shooting eight people. I mean.

650
00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:46.000
<v Speaker 6>Topic, thank you so much.

651
00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:50.079
<v Speaker 2>It's thank and thank you for calling in. And you

652
00:34:50.119 --> 00:34:52.679
<v Speaker 2>can if you read Joan Venaki's piece in the Globe today.

653
00:34:52.679 --> 00:34:55.119
<v Speaker 2>I'm sure you get in touch with them, Rishi Shukla

654
00:34:55.320 --> 00:34:58.360
<v Speaker 2>uh and maybe uh maybe coordinate. Well that's an example.

655
00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:02.280
<v Speaker 2>It's funny. I'm looking at the Boston murders, and the

656
00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:08.679
<v Speaker 2>murders are down, but since July in Boston and most

657
00:35:08.679 --> 00:35:12.760
<v Speaker 2>of the murders occur in Roxby, Dorchester, Mattapean sadly. July

658
00:35:12.920 --> 00:35:17.719
<v Speaker 2>fifth man shot to death July in Roxbury. July fifth,

659
00:35:18.039 --> 00:35:21.360
<v Speaker 2>two shot in Mattapean, one dies. July fourteenth man shot

660
00:35:21.400 --> 00:35:24.920
<v Speaker 2>to death in Arborway near Forest Hill Station. August fourth

661
00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:29.239
<v Speaker 2>man shot to death in Roxbury and Amory Terrace. August

662
00:35:29.280 --> 00:35:32.320
<v Speaker 2>twelfth to shot, one dead in an apartment street in

663
00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:36.159
<v Speaker 2>an apartment on Trent Street. In Dorchester. Men stabbed to

664
00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:40.639
<v Speaker 2>death near Ashboon station on August twenty third. August twenty

665
00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:44.400
<v Speaker 2>fourth man shot to death, Dorchester, Washington Street. September second,

666
00:35:44.440 --> 00:35:50.119
<v Speaker 2>double shooting in Dorchester at a barbershot. One man is dead.

667
00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:56.519
<v Speaker 2>The twenty third man shot at Mildred Haley apartments September

668
00:35:56.559 --> 00:35:59.519
<v Speaker 2>excuse me, September twenty three. September twenty ninth man shot

669
00:35:59.519 --> 00:36:05.400
<v Speaker 2>dead on Come Highway in Mattapan October eighth, another October eighteenth,

670
00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:10.840
<v Speaker 2>eleven five, eleven eight. We've had fifteen people shot to

671
00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:14.840
<v Speaker 2>death in the last six months. We had a handful

672
00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:17.440
<v Speaker 2>in the first six months of this year. That's a

673
00:36:17.480 --> 00:36:20.480
<v Speaker 2>bad trend. That's a very bad trend.

674
00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:24.159
<v Speaker 3>Look, you haven't even covered the NBTA crime stats, right,

675
00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:28.079
<v Speaker 3>So what when you really understand the data, then you

676
00:36:28.119 --> 00:36:30.360
<v Speaker 3>would look at everything you just described and then you

677
00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:32.360
<v Speaker 3>would say, Okay, what aren't we including in this that

678
00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:35.280
<v Speaker 3>is also violent or near homicide type statistics?

679
00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:35.519
<v Speaker 4>Right?

680
00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:38.119
<v Speaker 3>What we're not also talking about is, you know, are

681
00:36:38.440 --> 00:36:41.519
<v Speaker 3>these occurring closer to hospitals? Are we changing how first

682
00:36:41.519 --> 00:36:45.599
<v Speaker 3>responders deal with bullet wounds? So those fundamentally change how

683
00:36:45.639 --> 00:36:48.840
<v Speaker 3>statistics are are logged. And so if you talk to

684
00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:50.840
<v Speaker 3>officers about these things, I mean they'll tell you s

685
00:36:50.840 --> 00:36:53.719
<v Speaker 3>plot out right the way you captured data and you

686
00:36:53.760 --> 00:36:58.480
<v Speaker 3>want to you know, analyze it and publicize it. It's funcible, right,

687
00:36:58.800 --> 00:37:00.960
<v Speaker 3>Ultimately you can do what you want with um and

688
00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:04.960
<v Speaker 3>the time horizon matters. You know, how you sample, how

689
00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:07.119
<v Speaker 3>you cut it. You can spend numbers all day long.

690
00:37:07.159 --> 00:37:09.199
<v Speaker 3>But I think practically what you just cited, I mean

691
00:37:09.280 --> 00:37:12.880
<v Speaker 3>it's it's the poor reflection on the state of our city.

692
00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:15.119
<v Speaker 3>So if we're down one homicide or two, that's not

693
00:37:15.199 --> 00:37:18.719
<v Speaker 3>the point here. It's the totality of violent crime homicides.

694
00:37:18.760 --> 00:37:21.280
<v Speaker 3>The trend lines look generally better in Boston compared to

695
00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:23.679
<v Speaker 3>the rest of the country. That's great, but you know,

696
00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:26.880
<v Speaker 3>left unchecked some of these other issues that we're talking about.

697
00:37:27.800 --> 00:37:31.280
<v Speaker 3>You don't go rob a convenience storic gunpoint. That's not

698
00:37:31.320 --> 00:37:33.639
<v Speaker 3>your first act of being a criminal, right, You're a

699
00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:36.039
<v Speaker 3>hardened criminal at that point, And so we need to

700
00:37:36.039 --> 00:37:38.960
<v Speaker 3>get these types of folks off our streets. That's I

701
00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:41.599
<v Speaker 3>hope that's not controversial, and I think most folks who

702
00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:42.199
<v Speaker 3>are voted.

703
00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:45.480
<v Speaker 2>For our some some people would consider it to be controversial.

704
00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:47.280
<v Speaker 2>I do not, by the way, just from a point

705
00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:50.599
<v Speaker 2>of that, the first six months of this year, five

706
00:37:50.639 --> 00:37:54.760
<v Speaker 2>people were murdered in Boston. In the last six months,

707
00:37:54.920 --> 00:37:56.679
<v Speaker 2>well the first six months of the year, in the

708
00:37:56.760 --> 00:38:00.400
<v Speaker 2>last five months fifteen, that's a bad trend. That's a

709
00:38:00.440 --> 00:38:05.159
<v Speaker 2>bad trend line. And when we see what's going on,

710
00:38:05.280 --> 00:38:07.960
<v Speaker 2>do me a favorite, Richie. Rob will give you my

711
00:38:08.039 --> 00:38:10.679
<v Speaker 2>direct line, keep me posted and we'll have you back.

712
00:38:10.719 --> 00:38:14.840
<v Speaker 2>I think this is an important conversation because Boston Common

713
00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:18.360
<v Speaker 2>is really, in many ways the heart of this city,

714
00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:21.440
<v Speaker 2>and I want to do whatever we can do to

715
00:38:21.480 --> 00:38:23.960
<v Speaker 2>give you as much oxygen on this issue as possible.

716
00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:26.119
<v Speaker 2>Joe Vanaki wrote a great piece in the Globe today.

717
00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:29.039
<v Speaker 2>I think we've had a good conversation tonight, and thank

718
00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:31.639
<v Speaker 2>you for joining us. Stay there. Rob will give you

719
00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:34.960
<v Speaker 2>my direct lines and we can talk anytime off air.

720
00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:37.920
<v Speaker 3>Okay, thanks to appreciate you covering the important topic.

721
00:38:38.360 --> 00:38:41.039
<v Speaker 2>You're very welcome. You're very welcome. Rob. Give him the

722
00:38:41.119 --> 00:38:43.079
<v Speaker 2>direct line. We come back. We're going to talk with

723
00:38:43.159 --> 00:38:46.400
<v Speaker 2>a gentleman who we talked to two or three weeks ago.

724
00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:51.880
<v Speaker 2>He has visited stadiums in twenty four countries around the world,

725
00:38:53.599 --> 00:38:58.760
<v Speaker 2>upwards of twenty five hundred professional sports stadiums. Where do

726
00:38:58.800 --> 00:39:00.880
<v Speaker 2>you hear, sir? His story? Come back on night's side

727
00:39:00.960 --> 00:39:02.840
<v Speaker 2>right after the ten little bit of a change of

728
00:39:02.920 --> 00:39:05.239
<v Speaker 2>pace here on a cold December night,