The Boston Police Department is cracking down on large groups congregating in public areas throughout the city where they're engaging in reckless activities with disregard for public safety, including drag racing, fireworks and loud music.
Boston police say "Operation Quiet Streets," a multi-agency effort, is aimed at addressing the disturbances caused by auto groups, off-road vehicles and scooters.
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The crackdown was extremely successful on Sunday, police said, with eight arrests made, four summons issued, 57 moving citations, two parking tickets, three scooters seized, six vehicles towed, eight speaker cars seized and one gun recovered.
The areas targeted were some of the most heavily impacted, police said, including Franklin Park, 650 American Legion Highway, Old Road, Von Hillern Street and Dorchester Avenue.
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According to police, organized groups -- many from outside Boston and even Massachusetts -- have been rallying in the city, engaging in a range of behavior from quality-of-life infractions to serious criminal activities.
Police say this has included reckless operation of recreational vehicles, gun violence, assaults, public consumption of alcohol, and open drug consumption.
According to police, these gatherings have become a primary source of 911 calls and community complaints to the department due to the "impact on the quality of life of and quiet enjoyment within neighborhoods."
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Emergency teams deployed to disperse these gatherings have been met with resistance in the past, police added.
The goal of "Operation Quiet Streets" is to improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods and to restore peace. State police and other Boston agencies are contributing their resources.
