My decision to start the Codman Square Health Center was based on a desire to improve the health, safety and quality of life for the families living in the Codman Square area, which includes central Dorchester and Mattapan. At the time, some newspaper stories referred to this section of Dorchester as the “badlands” because of the amount of arson, drug trafficking and violent crime taking place. The goal of the health center was, in the short-term, to provide much needed medical care and, in the long-term, to reverse the community decline, which involved dealing with problems beyond medical care including crime. We began in the 1980s by organizing the community around the creation of a strategic plan for the community. This process, one of the first times a community organized itself to determine its own future, became the basis of the City’s effort to do so in many other neighborhoods in a program called Healthy Boston.
The strategic planning process involved hundreds of residents and resulted in a 40 page document in which the community called on itself to work with government, nonprofits and itself in building a new Codman Square area that would be stronger and healthier, and be able to deal with the crime, violence and drugs that hampered its development. The organizers found funding to organize the community around block groups and crime watches; we camped out at Roberts Park to drive the drug dealers out; collaborated to create new youth programs, built a strong Neighborhood Council to monitor progress, and over time we created financial literacy, adult education, public health, and youth entrepreneurship programs, and later, a school to provide young people with opportunity to participate in learning about health careers as a way to show a way to a career rather than street options. During the period from 1979, when the Codman Square Health center was founded, and 2012, the rate of serious crime fell. The strategic planning process has continued every decade since the initial one in 1989.
This is not to suggest that the health center was solely responsible for that reduction in crime. The point is no one organization or agency is responsible for reducing crime. It took a collective effort and long-term commitment on the part of community residents, community organizations, business owners, the courts, prosecutors, and the police. In the short-term, it took a focus on law enforcement measures to address the immediate problems of drug dealing and street crime. It also took a view that recognized that intergenerational crime is driven by poverty and a lack of faith that the future holds any promise of a better life, and that a long-term solution to community crime would have to address those issues.
This experience convinced me that there are a number of similarities between public health and policing. Both make use of data to determine where to focus remedies; both track success by the numbers, whether it’s the rate of assaults or the spread of contagious diseases; both look for ways to apply remedies that are proportional to the level of disease or disorder; and both rely on mapping to target areas of greatest need. In fact, if we overlay law enforcement maps of where the City’s most serious crimes occur with public health maps of where the highest rates of heart disease and other stress-related illnesses are found, we find that they describe the same geography.
Effective public health and law enforcement also rely on activism and community engagement to succeed. And, they share a recognition that prevention is the best long-term strategy to address chronic public health and public safety problems.
As Mayor, I will apply an activist-led, data-informed and technology-enhanced approach to addressing crime in Boston. In the short-term, I will use information provided by crime watch groups, street workers, and engaged citizens and the police department’s knowledge of crime patterns to identify and prioritize where police resources are deployed. I will also promote increased use of technology by BPD to improve the safety of police officers and allow for more time on the streets and in the neighborhoods and less time on deskwork.
And, as I did in Codman Square, I will commit to investing the time and effort and to marshaling the resources to put in place the physical and social infrastructure needed to rebuild the communities most impacted by the toxic combination of poverty, hopelessness and crime.
ACTIONS and SOLUTIONS
The Right Leadership
Commissioner
I have previously stated that, as Mayor, I will ask Boston Police Commissioner Davis to remain on in his role for some time because I believe that Boston needs a steady, experienced hand during a period of escalating violence. I would, however, direct Commissioner Davis to move aggressively to increase police presence in the neighborhoods, especially those experiencing unacceptable levels of gun violence. Deployment plans to date have not produced a reduction in gun violence and I intend to work with the Commissioner to get more police officers out of cars and out of station houses and into the neighborhoods.
Command Staff
I also believe that Boston would be in a better position to address violent and other crime if the command staff were more reflective of the communities that BPD serves. There is considerable evidence to suggest that this can expedite the kind of trust building between the police department and communities that is needed to form genuine partnerships capable of reducing crime. Therefore, I would do what a number of other municipalities in the Commonwealth have done and discontinue the current promotional tests in favor of establishing an internal BPD Leadership Academy to develop the skills needed to move from a peer to a supervisor and to prepare for the management challenges involved in directing a large, complex bureaucracy. These are skills not measured or measurable with the current testing structure.
The Right Tools
Mayor Menino created the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics to deliver transformative city services. One of my first executive orders as Mayor will be to have the Urban Mechanics Office work with the police department to locate or develop and equip the BPD and Boston residents with the latest crime fighting technology, such as
For Police:
- a secure social network for police that would allow them to monitor public social media communications while communicating securely among fellow officers and across police jurisdictions to allow for better scrutiny of drug and gang activity within the BPD jurisdiction as well as threats that could impact police jurisdictions beyond Boston
- digital handheld devices for use in issuing citations, completing accident reports, and filling out field interview forms so as to maximize officers’ time doing the police work and minimizing the time involved in reporting on that work
- crime-prediction software that can aid the police in anticipating, based on up-to-date data on recent activity, where future house breaks, robberies and other crimes are likely to take place.
For Boston residents:
- an e-alert system that uses GPS to notify residents in real time about crimes in their neighborhood using cellphones, text messages, Twitter and other social media
- a cell-phone application that uses GPS to notify police in real time about crimes that residents observe in a way that is discreet and traceable to the scene of the crime but not to the phone user providing the information
The Right Deployment
Police
A map of the locations where shootings have occurred over the past year shows a clearly delineated corridor of gun violence stretching from the South End through Roxbury and parts of Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park. Clearly, sufficient police resources need to be deployed to those areas. But, while increased police presence is necessary, it is not sufficient to address the societal neglect — and the underlying racism — that allows those communities to experience unacceptable levels of chronic violence. This is not unique to Boston, but I believe Boston has the resources and the collective will to address this problem. But it will take collective action. Therefore, in addition to ensuring a greater police presence, I would work to ensure that we have the right partners working with us to develop and implement strategies to make these communities safe (see The Right Partners below).
While gangs, guns and drugs require a great deal of attention on the part of law enforcement officials, nuisance crimes, such as drunk and disorderly individuals disrupting residential areas late at night, negatively impact the quality of life in those communities. Neighborhood residents are all too aware of the location of the bars, parks, street corners or other gathering spots where chronic disruptive activities occur and they know the time of day or night when they occur. The BPD will work with Boston Housing Authority Police and with the security forces for local colleges and universities and large property owners to address these quality of life crimes.
Street Workers
Boston’s Street Workers play a critical role in the City’s efforts to prevent and address gang activity. Working with their counterparts at StreetSafe and other community-based organizations, they have had an impact on gang violence. A study conducted by Harvard researchers indicated that even during a period when homicides in Boston were increasing, shootings connected to gangs that street workers were engaging with decreased as did gang violence in the areas where street workers were active. I believe the Street Worker Program needs to be supported and expanded, including having more street workers available at problem times, such as late evening. I will work to reinstate proven successful options to late night gang activity, such as a Midnight Basketball League at local community centers staffed by street workers.
Citizen Constables
Community policing is essential to create trust that allows for residents to engage with police to solve crime problems affecting their neighborhoods. Community policing is created when there is an active and friendly presence of police in communities, where police interact with youth regularly, and good relationships develop. In addition to putting more energy into community policing efforts, I am proposing the creation of Citizen Constables. Under Massachusetts state law, the Mayor appoints constables who report to the Police Department. Constables are considered peace officers who must have knowledge of civil and criminal law and whose duties usually consist of serving civil process. As Mayor, I will create a position of Citizen Constable, whose duties will be to serve as liaisons between their communities and the police. As with current constable applicants, prospective Citizen Constables will be required to submit an application to the police describing their qualifications. Criteria for being selected as a Citizen Constable will include having extensive experience as a community leader and having the trust of his or her neighbors to be a credible conveyor of information from the police to the community and the community to the police.
Crime Watches
I will reinvigorate our efforts to create crime watches/block associations in every neighborhood, both for public safety, and to help create more social capital which can be helpful in the event of weather and other emergencies. Special efforts will be made to coordinate with the Parks Department and DCR in areas with parks and open spaces to help deal with problems in these areas.
Summer and Year Long Jobs for Youth
We now have direct evidence that the summer jobs program prevents crime. I support the creation of 8000 summer jobs and 1000 year long jobs for youth to allow for this program’s expansion. This will amount to only .3% of the city’s budget. I will work with the business community to create more summer and year long job opportunities for youth, which will be part of my Career Academy initiative (see Education Blueprint at billforboston.com)
The Right Oversight
As Mayor I will expand the size of the City’s Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel from the current three members to 15 members so as to have broad community representation and will expand the Panel’s duties from “reviewing Boston Police Department Internal Investigations cases appealed by complainants” to include advising the department on its work with communities.
The Right Programs and Policies
Violence Against Women
BPD will work with the Boston Public Health Commission, community health centers, community centers and schools to ensure that all have access to violence/domestic violence programs and workers. Exposure to violence in the home, including sexual abuse, is directly linked to violence and abuse later in life, including suicide. As with the efforts in primary care centers to alert all to what can be done regarding violence/domestic violence, the City will work with organizations such as Jane Doe, Inc. and the Rape Crisis Center to create programs within schools about dating, sexual abuse and domestic violence, and have a resource for students to turn to. As Mayor, I will participate in a campaign to make violence against women and domestic violence the next major public health campaign for the City. There will be a designated office within the Police Department to work with the court system on processes to allow for better systems that create safe systems for victims. The Boston Public Health Commission will work with violence/domestic violence agencies to ensure access to services for victims. I will advocate for expansion of the domestic violence shelter system and rape crisis services at the state level with our Boston delegation.
Re-Entry Office
As a former probation officer, and the current president of STRIVE, a job training center focusing mainly on ex-offenders, I know how the system underprepares offenders to return to a normal life. Without support, ex-offenders have a likelihood of recidivism when they return to their communities. As mayor, I will work with community organizations and create a dedicated office to help coordinate services and programs, including health care and job training, for ex-offenders. Families and individuals need a place to turn to receive services and information.
LGBTQ Non-Discrimination Policies
I will continue and expand LGBTQ non-discrimination policies for the City including hiring, housing, contracting, and public accommodations. I will continue to have Javier Pagan be the LGBTQ liaison and have annual diversity training for the Police to deal with LGBTQ issues regarding domestic violence and other criminal justice issues. I will continue to utilize the policies BPD created this year on interacting with transgender persons to treat them with dignity and respect. The BPD liaison will work with the School Department will ensure safe environments for all students, promoting acceptance of diversity and focus attention on bullying. I will continue have an LGBTQ liaison at City Hall who works with the community to ensure that Boston policies are adhered to and to work with nonprofit organizations that provide resources, access, and creates community for the LGBTQ community.
Jurisdictional Issues in Policing
I will work with our state legislative delegation and the Patrick Administration to bring a logical solution to the public safety problems that occur in the Seaport District and other areas of Boston that are shared with state-owned property such as the Esplanade, our parks, and our beaches.
Too often, turf wars over these areas lead to poor public notification of violence and danger. When I am mayor, I will ensure every part of Boston is patrolled and the public is warned of unsafe conditions.
The Right Partners
In the 1990s, Boston’s success in reducing violent crime drew national attention and became known as the “Boston Miracle.” It involved bringing law enforcement agencies, school administrators, clergy, youth-serving agencies, and others together to share information, identify and prosecute gang offenders, and provide young people with alternatives to gang involvement. The approach was both are tough and smart – and made it clear that prevention, treatment, intervention, programs and partnerships are key ingredients in any effective system of policing, prosecution and punishment. Given the over 100 shootings that have taken place this year, it would appear that challenge will be to revive the political will, the law enforcement and community support needed to revive the miracle. I pledge to do so.
I also pledge to dramatically improve our system of education (see Education Blueprint at billforboston.com), including the creation of Career Academies, located at high schools for 11th and 12th grades, which will be directly linked to business, unions, academe and hospital and health care institutions, to create pipelines for careers for children in the public schools. Based on the model I helped to create at Codman Academy Charter School and the Edward Kennedy Health Careers Academy, Career Academies will offer opportunities for teens to be engaged with building a career for themselves. My experience is that teens who have hope for a career will be far less likely to get engaged in crime and violence.
