Hey, there! Log in / Register
Police, schools bracing for possible Halloween violence tonight
By adamg on Fri, 10/31/2014 - 12:38pm
The Dorchester Reporter reports Boston and Transit police are hoping to head off general mayhem tonight.
Boston Police themselves report:
The Boston Police and the MBTA Transit Police have noted a recent uptick in incidents involving school-aged individuals committing acts of vandalism and other criminal activity throughout the City of Boston and on the MBTA. It is believed that these individuals have been and continue to be recruited by their peers via various social media sites to participate as part of a larger group in this activity. In recent weeks, officials have learned of the groups’ intention to engage in lawless and destructive behavior on Halloween.
Specifically, social media outlets are being used to get students to participate in these groups on Friday, October 31, 2014. The social media outlets are advising students to ride bicycles, wear masks, and carry objects that may potentially be used as weapons.
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Halloween Ride
There is a Halloween Ride starting at Copley tonight.
And, yes, people are being encouraged to ride their bikes and wear costumes.
And carrying u-locks...
n/t
check @staco for the cyclist
check @staco for the cyclist gang violence reports that Adam was warning readers about
Different crowd, I suspect
I think BPD is thinking more of the groups of kids that have escalated over the past few weeks from simply riding in traffic and making general annoyances of themselves to actually swiping purses and the like.
Boston Bike Party also
Boston Bike Party also manages to keep in a group and be organized well for the most part. If some of these kids were up to no good, BBP would be a decent cover.
Boston Bike Party
The Boston Bike Party has legions of good riders who will absolutely call the cops on any punks who try to hide within our peaceful group. We also have dozens of photographers so if they join our ride, they will get photographed and turned in asap.
I remember a ride I went on
I remember a ride I went on last year with the group when some Fred was being all ridiculous and promptly pushed out of the group. Mad good policing. BBP is pretty much the anti-critical mass.
Agreed
I was on one last year where some kids did join in - some were fine and nobody had a problem. We managed to ditch the losers by doing a speed up on the non-BMX bikes.
Please be respectful of the
Please be respectful of the little ones and their families who trick or treat tonight! Tonight is NOT the night to protest en masse by taking over the streets, corking intersections, etc.
It doesn't start until 7:30.
It doesn't start until 7:30. You and the "little ones" should be pretty much done with the T&T and on the way home by that time.
derp derp derp
uh huh, nobodys ever heard of a treat-or-treater getting run over by a car. never ever happened. not once in this world.
its just those damn peskie bikes that are so dangerous. taking over streets, corking intersections. arrrrgh, if it werent for those meddling bikes i could be driving 50 mph down the street! totally safe.
i aint riding a bike! nosiree! everyone should just get out in their cars tonight, driving around, hooting and hollering, with a few drinks in them for good luck. totally safe.
dress up your kids as traffic cones for halloween. yep that's the american way.
these kids gotta wear reflector jackets cause those damn peskie bikes, amiright:
/derp
calm down
wow, see someone about your anger issues buddy! Little kids out trick or treating really seems to get on your nerves apparently.
After rush hour
That's why people take their kids out after the drivers of cars are done corking intersections, taking over the streets in the twice-daily critical mass drive.
For Pete's sake
It's a costumed ride, not a protest. Your intersections will be just fine. You can go back to worrying about razor blades in the apples and creeps slipping LSD into the popcorn balls.
Whoa!
I can haz LSD in my popcorn balls?
Try getting on the redline
You get over run at Andrew and now they've moved down the line to Umass......a zoo - yesterday even with T cops in place it was mayhem.....put them back on the buses
C.M. or Madison Park?
Just trying to know what I'm supposed be looking out for, ya know?
Just in the last month, I've seen the following ...
...after school activities.
1) About 10 kids on bikes commandeering Morrissey Boulevard playing chicken with cars
2) About 50 kids on bikes rolling down the middle of my street in Fields Corner banging on parked cars, and causing moving cars to stop.
3) 4 kids on Ashmont line banging on windows inside the train, joking about whether they were going to break anything. On the same train, someone had etched graffiti into many of the windows.
Parents
need to be more vigilant and held accountable for their kids poor behavior. It being on a Friday is a recipe for disaster and not saying they should be vilified but shouldn't they be aware of what their kids are up to anyways.
Child neglect is a crime.
Child neglect is a crime in most areas. The parents or guardians of these minors should be charged with neglect. Maybe that would have an impact on this behavior. And if they aren't minors, then they should be charged themselves. A little community service never hurt anyone.
You think they have "parents"
You think they have "parents"?
its starting early!
I was at the South Bay Mall this afternoon and kids were swarming all over a bus and the Transit Police motorcycle units were kicking the kids off the bus.
And people wonder
why the school security officers want to start carrying mace.
So its Saturday morning and did anything happen?
Saw several kids on bikes in Savin Hill, Fields Corner, Dorchester Ave, Ashmont area, and Codman Square, but nothing bad that I could see. All of them were in small groups, but not causing any problems.
I also saw lots of law enforcement, BPD and T police last night too.
Ditto, at least up through 10:30 p.m.
When I just fell completely asleep. Was listening to the scanner, didn't really hear anything major, although it seemed like the cops made a point of swarming any group that seemed to be assembling.
Later on, there were shootings and stuff, but I suspect that was not related to high-school kids.
Lots of police on bikes
in Dorchester last night too, in addition to BPD cars
Halloween Bike Ride didn't go through any of those areas
We started in Copley Square, wandered around the Christian Science Plaza and Back Bay a bit, then headed up Mass Ave to Central Square and Harvard Square, then through the tunnel to Cambridge Street and Inman Square.
I left the ride at that point, but the route from there was to Kendall Square, back into Boston over the Longfellow, down Beacon Street to Coolidge Corner, then up Harvard St to end in Allston.
With 800 riders this year, the event may have gotten unmanageably large. Next year Halloween is on a Saturday night, so it could be even bigger if the weather is good.
Mob Of Kangaroos - Late Night Ⓣ Service Was Flawless!
The only mob I saw last night, was a mob of kangaroos, but they weren't causing much trouble:
Adorable!
Hats off to the Ⓣ Police and the Ⓣ in general, for the great late night service! I've been using it every Friday (and occasionally Saturday) nights since the extended service began.
Last night, I noticed additional folks riding the Orange Line, and the 2:15 AM Blue Line train from State to Wonderland was filled with more riders than ever. So far, I have not seen any trouble at that hour on the Ⓣ.
Most passengers are in a good mood, and sometimes the whole car breaks into conversation and laughter together. Compared to a rush hour commute where passengers never make eye contact; let alone speak to one another; it's surprisingly friendly, which also makes it feel safer. Combined with the reliable service, it's certainly the most fun time of day to ride the Ⓣ!
I surely hope this service continues beyond the one year trial; I wish it ran even later and also on more nights of the week. Over the past several months, I've spent hundreds of additional dollars in downtown Boston, simply because the Ⓣ has made it practical and safe to go there!
Blue Line at night
"the 2:15 AM Blue Line train from State to Wonderland was filled with more riders than ever."
The evening rush hour never really ends on the Blue Line outbound anymore. From about 9 PM onward to any hour the T cares to remain open, the Blue Line outbound is consistently packed to the rafters.