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Gang cop accused of helping out gang

The Herald reports on a Boston cop who resigned recently as he is investigated for providing information to the Academy Homes gang about a federal and local investigation into members.

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Heath St gang, and all the other gangs named after housing projects - our tax dollars hard at work.

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Technically Academy Homes is not a "project" but Section 8 housing, as the complex is privately owned (by Urban Edge, I believe).

Anyway, that being said---I live around the corner from Academy Homes: I think it's all of .1 mile from my home. Good to know that some of the very people tasked with ending gang violence in my community are actually guilty of helping gang members avoid police detection. Honestly, I could care less about this police officer other than the fact that I'm glad he was caught. The sad thing is that all of these gangs exist in the first place with kids who are doing nothing other than "controlling" less than one city block and shooting each other over this. This whole area could be a wonderful, safe and vibrant community except for these street gangs fighting each other over next to nothing.

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Speaking about gangs and this community, and because I want to hammer this point home as much as possible:

With the $20,000 pay raise that City Councilors voted for themselves--13 members times 20K/councilor= 260,000 dollars--the city could employ an additional 275 teenagers every summer, giving them something to do and a way to earn money other than carrying guns and joining local gangs.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/08/17/walsh-falling-short-ambit...

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Disclaimer: I'm new to Boston. That said, I've taught in an inner city career-tech high school, and while I don't know the Boston high school scene very well yet, in my experience, there are responsible urban kids desperate for legitimate, paid work-based learning experiences. Some of 'em need more polish than others, but if you show them early there's an opportunity, you will get kids who meet expectations. A little mentorship goes a long way.

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As someone who works in public housing / tax credit housing / feebie housing financing every once in a while, it's a project. I'm paying for it, you are paying for it. If Urban Edge, a Neighborhood CDC, or a Public Housing Authority is paying for a chunk of everyone's rent or the rent comes back in HUD reimbursements, whether through one source or another, at the end of the day I'm paying my mortgage and their rent, or at least a portion of their rent for our ASBO friends.

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So is Liberty Mutuals new HQ a project, how about most of the buildings in the Seaport, who have received tax credits/subsidies.

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And they are now new tax revenue streams which will pay for themselves 10x over, however you cant say that about projects.

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The Berkeley Boys aren't beefing wth anyone save for John Hancock as opposed to our well documented feuds between Academy Homes, Bromley Heath, and Villa Victoria.

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Yes it's subsidized, it's true. I don't really have a problem with Housing Projects or Section 8, to be honest. I have a problem with abuse of the system. I have a problem with known gang members living in subsidized and public housing. I have a problem with crime, in general.

The truth of the matter is that Academy Homes and the rest of these low income housing projects are not going anywhere. That's fine--people with extremely low incomes have to live somewhere. As long as they are working and paying what they can, I have no problem. I just wish that the city would do more to enforce their zero tolerance on crime in public housing policy and that we could be proactive and provide young people with options other than joining gangs in the first place.

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Nice to see someone with a moderate view. Criminals and lazies have no business living off our tax dollars. Just chillin 7 days a week and not putting any effort into being a useful human being. They should specifically be for those who work and have low income.

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They don't exist in your world?

A fair number of people receiving housing assistance do so because 13,000 a year SS benefits don't go very far.

And yet they can't work.

All the more reason to get the criminals out of there, though. Vulnerable populations.

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There are far more people without disabilities living in subsidized housing then with disabilities.

We should take care of those who cant take care of themselves, not those who dont feel like it.

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Isn't selling drugs on every street corner, shooting up rival insurance companies and driving down property values.

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For Housin'..

Want the violence to go away?

LEGALIZE AND TAX DRUGS.

And.....begin.

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I'm sure that will get all of the drug dealers on the straight and narrow!
They are hustlers, if it isn't drugs, it will be something else.
What drugs should be legalized? Wouldn't it be great to see even more people on crack and heroin!

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And people wonder why the victims of gang violence are reluctant to talk to the police.

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Don't be naive. The "victims" of gang violence are usually Gang involved and will handle it themselves. That's why they don't talk to the police. It's their culture.

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Yeah, fuck 'em all, right? That attitude doesn't help, either.

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And your attitude of "fuck the police" is much more constructive?! Tell me, how are the BPD at fault for the attitudes the gangs have of not cooperating so that they can just shoot it out on the street?

This officer may be a criminal. Or maybe - JUST MAYBE - letting the academy homes gang do a little dirt was the lesser of two evils. I want to know more before jumping to conclusions like our local media already has. Was the officer receiving information in return? Perhaps on nearby Heath St, who is a much more violent, much more active gang?

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There is a bad apple in every bunch, sometimes more. Hopefully in this case, he's the only one. If not, let the others come to the surface quickly and get them off the streets.

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Section 8 housing is guaranteed rent for landlords direct deposited into their account each month. This is a stimulus program as it puts cash out there for a unit that's provided by a private entity and also raises the demand for housing and therefore the price in areas with lots of section 8 housing exist. I think I read something like 22,000 housing units in boston are subsidized. That's a lot of market influence! And the agencies helping the unit occupants take no responsibility for their actions once they are in a unit.

And the gang unit is one of the worst jobs For a cop. Working nights to catch scumbags. I'd bet the city doesn't provide the positive environment to maintain healthy officers.

legalizing drugs provides more revenue but who knows how it would affect the number of users?

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You clearly don't know anybody in the Gang Unit. Those officers love their jobs and fight hard to get into that unit. It's a goal, not a punishment.

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