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Person stabbed in the chest on Tremont Street downtown
By adamg on Tue, 09/10/2013 - 9:37pm
Around 9:10 p.m. at 140 Tremont St., according to Brian D'Amico, who adds the homicide unit was summoned because of the severity of the injuries.
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Comments
It's so sadly
It's so sadly predictable...whenever the weather gets warmer and/or darker the Common and its adjacent streets become Mos Eisley - and yet nary a cop in sight.
Not so sure
hmmm, my experience living on Tremont St. across from the Common is very different. given how big and centrally located it is, and the number and diversity of people that traverse and enjoy it daily, I am amazed at how little violent crime there is, I think the Boston police and park rangers do an awesome job of balancing access and safety.
can you point to incidents that support your observation?
As a resident of the area I
As a resident of the area I agree there is not much violent crime. In addition, this stabbing occurred at "Bridge over Troubled Waters".
Well,
Well, http://www.universalhub.com/crime/downtown.html
Granted, this shows all of downtown, but a good deal of the incidents can be narrowed down to Downtown Crossing/Winter Street/The Common. And just because there is comparatively little violent crime doesn't mean there is only a little crime in general.
I also invite you to observe the volumes of trash on the Common in the mornings and evenings that the city fails to collect, where you will frequently come across much evidence of alcohol and drug use (not just weed mind you)- broken bottles, baggies, filled baby diapers, condoms, hypo needles, cigarette butts, zig-zag wrappers, blunt packages, improvised tourniquets, packets of alcohol rubs, the odd emptied wallet or purse, shoplifting sensors and retail tags and graffiti all around...with the Soldier and Sailor Monument upon the hill, providing needed cover, near the Frog Pond at its nexus. All duly reported to Citizens Connect.
Add to this the usual beloved cast of characters, like Spare Change Guy and Screaming Lawn Chair Lady in front of Park Street Station, (who all have a perfect right to be there I might add), I believe my comparison to Mos Eisley, (or at least any given Fellini film) is apt. It's a great urban public space where all kinds get together, and I find it all marvelous!
As for police presence, I would categorize it as more reactive than a deterrent. Why? Because as I stated, in spite of my daily observations as I walk through the park, I never see them until a call comes in. Not even on bicycles. BPD relies on the Park Ranger (just one usually if we're lucky) to call in suspicious stuff, but a Park Ranger doesn't really strike fear into the hearts of dealers.
I'm not just looking to
I'm not just looking to argue, I think how we perceive things like whether a neighborhood is violent is interesting.
In the map you reference, actually, none of the incidents are on the Common. Not to be pedantic, but downtown crossing is not the Common. If we want to talk about downtown crossing there is too much violence there but then there is also an almost militaristic Boston Police presence as well.
I walk my dog on the Common early every morning, people do litter quite a bit, and I can assure you I am no apologist for the DCR but they do a pretty good job of cleaning up each morning. Drug *usage* on the Common would be very difficult to control, any attempts to do so would hit the homeless hard.
The BPD virtually eliminated drug trafficking on the Common with an extensive undercover operation after in 2007 a bullet hit the State House - http://www.universalhub.com/node/10239 - it was *fascinating* to watch.
I guess I'm still calling bullshit, it's hard for me to imagine, specifically, what the City, the DCR, or the BPD could do to improve things radically. Maybe they actually deserve some credit?
In terms of violent crime, I
In terms of violent crime, I will admit that the area is usually safer than other areas of the city. The fact that there is not more violence in that area can be attributed to the fact that there are large numbers of witnesses during the day. But believe me my friend, summer nights in the Common are quite a different story - and a lot of what happens goes unreported.
My point was that after dark, and even during the day, there is a good deal of drug activity taking place. If you were to visit the Soldiers and Sailors Monument with your dog and see what gets left behind in the early morning you would know what I'm talking about. There are many sketchy people up there loitering all day, selling drugs and doing drugs - and they're not necessarily homeless (and I have no problem with the homeless). It's no secret what goes on up there. I've been walking up there daily to and from work for the last 5 years.
I'm puzzled by your assertion '...the BPD virtually eliminated drug trafficking on the Common'. Frankly, this is far from 'ground-truth'. Yes, every now and then BPD does a sting and brings the hammer down, but its mostly political theater. I have not seen a consistent police presence either in the morning up there, or in the evening. I can't speak for the afternoon as I have to work. The only 'patrol' I have seen is the Park Ranger, and they go off duty after 5 as far as I can tell.
As far as the DCR goes, they are great sweeping the pavement, but they don't get everywhere, especially the grassy areas around the Monument - usually private volunteers like myself or someone from the Friends of the Public Garden will pick up the slack.
My point is, yes things could be worse, but I am not content to say more can't be done.
drug trafficking is pretty
drug trafficking is pretty straightforward to detect if you hang in a place constantly. they work in pairs or groups, one individual handles money and another the drugs, this is one way to avoid going away for a long time if you are caught with either. they signal the receipt of the money usually with a distinct whistle. they don't litter. it's like The Wire but for real.
the operation, ongoing but concentrated in 1997/98 was primarily undercover officers, they typically looked like someone on their way to a Bruins game, in my opinion very well done. one would discover who they were during a bust. after a while you could recognize them, they had a distinctive behavior. it made one appreciate that some drug dealers, who typically appeared to be teenagers, are not all that on top of things.
again, drug *usage*, more likely the source of the litter you see by the monument, is a different story entirely. I'm don't agree with you that the majority of drug users on the Common are not homeless or at least dysfunctional, we'll just have to disagree.
Menino *could* have gone all "Giuliani" and removed the homeless, the fact that he did/does not helps me to see that our city has some soul.
I am really looking forward to the impact filling the Filene's crater has on crime in Downtown Crossing.
Couldn't say if the people I
Couldn't say if the people I see dealing are homeless or not - but I can say they are not camping in the Common like the people along the Park Street side, some of whom may be substance abusers or mentally ill - these are definitely homeless, as they can be counted on to be there most every night weather permitting.
By contrast, most of the users up by the monument are at-risk youths, who may sleep in the park from time to time, but they are not as 'permanent' as the folks by Park.
Bottom line is that the Common is a just few yards from the main public transit hub for the city, and the hill where the monument is provides cover from eyes at ground level and a good look-out spot - it is a natural magnet for drug dealing and I don't see any regular police presence - they may come along after I leave, so I can't be sure. But as I said, I walk through there every day.
I appreciate your perspective
I appreciate your perspective Finn, I'll keep more of an eye out near the T station/monument.
Any details?
Was it the usual crackhead argument turned violent, or did some unfortunate tourist find out refusal to donate an iphone is punishable by death 'round these parts?