SUMMARY

In addition to its almost 600,000 residents, Boston’s public safety charge extends to the hundreds of thousands of workers who double the city’s working population each day as well as to students, patients, tourists, conventioneers, and shoppers who make Boston their destination. During special events such as the Boston Marathon or the Fourth of July Esplanade Celebration, Boston’s population can exceed two million.

Boston's public safety sector consists of criminal justice and public law enforcement agencies representing all levels of federal, state and city government--from federal Homeland Security officials to state supervised youth workers to Boston police officers and firefighters. It also includes many community- and faith-based organizations that work in alliance with the public sector to promote safety such as the Dorchester Youth Collaborative Project RIGHT the TenPoint Coalition the Ella J. Baker House and Roxbury Youthworks.

The City of Boston is within the jurisdiction of several Suffolk County law enforcement offices. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office has teams of attorneys, advocates and investigators in 9 district and municipal courts, with 8 in the City of Boston. The District Attorney’s Office has specialized units to handle some cases including those that involve child abuse, sexual assault, elders, juveniles and gangs. Most felonies committed in Boston are tried in Suffolk Superior Court  and most serious crimes committed by defendants under age 17 are adjudicated in the Boston Juvenile Court. Cases are appealed to the Massachusetts Appeals Court or the Supreme Judicial Court . Other Suffolk County law enforcement offices include the Sheriff’s Department  and the House of Correction .

CONTEXT

Headquartered in Lower Roxbury, the Boston Police Department —the oldest in the nation—operates 11 neighborhood stations. The Boston Fire Department is the oldest professional fire department in the country, providing emergency medical, fire and educational services. In recent years, it has also become a lead agency on chemical, biological and radiological defense and preparedness for large-scale natural disasters or terrorist acts.

State public safety departments include the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety , the Massachusetts Department of Correction , the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services and the Massachusetts Department of Social Services , which protects children from violence and neglect . Federal agencies such as the US Departments of Justice , Homeland Security , Health and Human Services , the Federal Emergency Management Administration , the Environmental Protection Administration, US Coast Guard , US Attorney’s Office and the FBI all provide essential public safety and emergency-management services through local or regional offices, most of which are located in Boston.

Key Trends

	While Boston’s long-term crime rates are down overall, consistent with trends in other major cities, violent crime is increasing. Gang activity in Boston is increasing and is a growing concern across the region. In response, law enforcement officials in Boston have created Anti-Gang Task Forces with neighboring police departments to pool intelligence and conduct joint patrols. A demographic bulge in teenagers—an age cohort more likely than others to be engage in risky behaviors—coincides with a loss in federal funds for community policing, a constrained public budget for youth activities, fewer entry-level jobs for young people and school drop outs, and an increase in the availability of guns. Rising rates of youth violence have reinvigorated partnerships for violence reduction and youth development among government, criminal justice groups, community-based groups, faith-based organizations, social service agencies, and businesses. Although it is frequently unreported and difficult to document, there is evidence that teenage prostitution is worsening. Federal funding for the Boston Police Department (BPD) has declined since 2001, with the number of Boston Police officers also declining. According to biennial Boston Police Department (BPD) survey data, residents in 2006 were more likely to consider Boston Police officers to be fair and respectful but have less confidence in their ability to prevent crime than before. Hate crimes are declining in Boston, with a 6% reduction—from 180 incidents in 2004 to 169 in 2006, considerably fewer than the high of 343 in the late 1990s. An increasing number of former inmates are re-entering Boston’s neighborhoods on their release from prison, reflecting a sharp increase in the prison population overall. Boston every month, and about 20% of all state prisoners return to Suffolk County. With increasing levels of cyber-crime sophistication, identity theft and credit card fraud are increasing. The potential for bioterrorism or a bio-disaster in Boston remains a concern. More »

Accomplishments & Developments

	Edward F. Davis was appointed Boston Police Commissioner in December 2006. At the time of his appointment, Davis vowed to make gun violence his top priority, and reaffirmed his commitment to community policing, especially in the Boston neighborhoods most impacted by crime and violence. In 2005, the Boston Police Department reached the highest level of diversity in its history. The Summer Safety Funding Collaborative was launched in June 2006 The Executive Office of Public Safety (EPOS) launched a $1.4 million effort to better understand racial profiling by law enforcement personnel. EPOS ordered 247 Massachusetts police departments to collect data for one year at all traffic stops, recording the driver’s race or ethnicity and the reason for the stop. The Boston Police Department began to collect data in February 2006. Northeastern University’s Institute on Race and Justice also conducted the racial profiling. In 2006, the Department of Homeland Security gave Boston and its surrounding suburbs the second-highest rating in emergency communications preparedness in the event of a major disaster. New Boston Police Department programs and partnerships and the expansion of proven models helped to prevent or solve violence and crime. The Boston Police Department (BPD) made a record number of gun arrests and new initiatives sought to confront the rising prevalence of guns on City streets. New policies, legislation and court rulings promoted more rapid and effective prosecution of gun and gang-related cases. More »

Challenges

	While the teenage population in Boston has increased, federal and state funding for youth programs and summer jobs has declined. In an environment of increased community need and diminished public resources, community leaders, police and others involved in crime prevention continue to debate how available funds should be spent. Some of Boston’s highest crime areas are getting the slowest police response to 911 calls and have fewer patrol officers. Community youth centers are often not open on weekends and evenings when violence is most likely to occur. Many current and former inmates are not able to participate in programs like literacy and job training, substance abuse treatment and stepped-down re-entry that reduce the likelihood of recidivism. There are currently some, but not enough programs in Boston to assist inmates re-entering society. The current Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system does not protect former inmates’ individual rights or support successful re-entry. The current system, which records misdemeanors as well as felonies and acquittals as well as convictions, is flawed. Legislation has also been proposed that would require parole officers and the heads of correctional facilities to create “certificates of rehabilitation” for inmates who have completed rehabilitation programs. Housing providers and employers would then be able to view these certificates along with an applicant’s CORI information. The City of Boston has taken the most aggressive set of steps in the Commonwealth to provide access to employment to those with criminal records. According to Homeland Security experts, liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are the City of Boston’s greatest terrorist vulnerability. Current state laws provide little consumer protection against credit card fraud. While partnerships with neighborhood groups and others must be an essential and consistent component of Boston’s plans for emergency preparedness and response, federal funding is erratic. More »