As summer nears, Boston unveils plan to reduce crime

As summer nears, city officials in Boston unveiled a six-part plan to reduce crime year-round.

"Our administration's goal is to make Boston a home for everyone," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "A home for every family, every generation across every neighborhood."

Wu said the city held more than 25 meetings in nine different communities to allow residents to share insights and experiences.

"Because safety isn't something we can just write a plan for or put some words on a piece of paper," she said. "It has to be built together from the ground up."

According to Boston police, so far, homicides in the city this year are down by 82%, and shooting incidents are down 44% from last year as of Tuesday.

"We focus year-round on a small number of individuals that drive the crime," said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. "We found over time that these individuals repeatedly offend over and over again, and if we focus on those individuals, we are focusing on the right people that drive the violence in our city."

Under the plan, the city will scale up community and youth programming activities and employment opportunities for those living in neighborhoods affected by violence.

The city also aims to ensure neighborhoods are supported and connected to resources to help them respond to and recover from incidents of community violence.

Another goal the city has is to strengthen intervention and recovery efforts that are relevant to and accessible by the most "at-promise populations" within the city, Isaac Yablo, senior advisor for Community Safety, said.

Yablo said the city will focus on increasing positive police presence and community engagement efforts at "hotspot" locations.

The fifth goal is to reinvest in communities and residents across the city, especially those impacted by community violence, Yablo said.

Finally, the city will make sure that the gun violence intervention strategy is active and supported by both providers and residents.

During the press conference, officials stressed the importance of the public's help and trust.

Boston police said the public can dial 911 to tell them what's going on in their area. Anonymous tips can also be submitted at 1-800-494-TIPS.

"Building trust is the single most important piece of our overall strategy for public safety in Boston year-round," said Cox. "It's what community policing is based on and it is what addressing and solving criminal activity is built on."

For more information on summer activities and resources the city is providing this summer, visit Boston.gov.