Despite efforts to clean up Boston's troubled Mass. and Cass area, it is still rife with crime, and violence has spiked in recent weeks.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Wednesday that the situation has become dangerous enough that even outreach workers are not feeling comfortable anymore.
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Sue Sullivan, the executive director of the Newmarket Business Improvement District, which works to improve the quality of life in the area, says it's become a more violent crowd, with gangs and guns taking over the problematic streets.
"It's anarchy," said Sullivan. "We need to stop the open air drug trade and clear the tents again."
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More on Mass. and Cass
The Boston Police Patrolman's Association tells NBC10 Boston that officers have responded to over 5,000 calls in the area since the beginning of the year.
"The amount of calls is obscene," said union president Larry Calderone.
He says officers watch the area 24 hours a day, and it's becoming increasingly dangerous.
"The city's plan thus far has not worked," he said. "With the uptick in violence, the amount of weapons and open drug use, it's just a matter of time before we're going to a funeral."
Just last week, police confiscated three guns, a hatchet and a machete.
"I am concerned every day about the powder keg," said Sullivan. "When there's going to be a lit fuse, that's going to cause something to happen that will make us all look at each other and say, 'Why didn't we fix this?'"
