Local and state leaders met Thursday to discuss the public’s concern about crime in some of Boston’s most popular areas.
Officials in Boston held a closed-door meeting Thursday to discuss how to address safety concerns in some of the city's most-visited areas.
According to the Boston Police Department, crime has reached its highest level in the last seven years in Downtown Crossing and Boston Common, totaling nearly 1,000 offenses.
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WATCH HERENo cameras were allowed inside during the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, and the list was invite-only list. Over 90 state and city government officials were in attendance, including Mayor Michelle Wu, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden and members of the Boston City Council.
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SIGN UP "We had a productive meeting," said City Councilor Ed Flynn. "People are coming together to address quality of life issues, public safety concerns."
"Our real success and our real partnership comes from the people in the community that were here today," Hayden said.
Rishi Shukla, cofounder of the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association, hosted the meeting.
"We very intentionally sat people around a boardroom-type table, where you didn't sit next to somebody you knew well, and we curated the room in such a way that it forced conversation to happen," Shukla said.
The meeting addressed three main concerns: Breaking the cycle of illicit drugs, going after petty crime and organized retail theft, and addressing homelessness in the area.
"We've been successful at preventing encampments from reestablishing, and now it really is wanting to provide services and public safety outreach," Wu said.
The DNBA says that in a poll of 320 residents, 70% said they felt less safe downtown in November than in the beginning of 2025, with 90% rating public safety as an urgent issue for the area.
"There will be some very, very tangible things happening in Downtown Boston over the next several days and weeks, not months or years," Shukla said.
Several task forces are set to convene next week to address the needs of the community, one of which will be co-led by Wu.
