Concerns have been rising about recent incidents of gunfire in the neighborhood. Some of our readers, who have been contacting us here at South Boston Today, want to know if it is some kind of rival gang war in the development stages, or if these are just random acts taking place. Are parts of South Boston now considered unsafe and should people be worried about going outside? Here’s the information we were able to get from police sources.
Yes, there have been shots fired in recent days. At least 3 incidents have been reported near the West Broadway Development. Arrests have been made and at least one illegal firearm has been recovered. No one was hit by bullets in these 3 incidents. Police say that there are definitely issues going on and believe it’s related to and being carried over from last summer, but do not believe it’s the work of any kind of rival gang activity. But, police say, these are not just random occurrences, they are targeted and probably a result of personal grudges.
Local law enforcement sources say these incidents are considered serious, as are all weapons related crimes, and they are putting all available resources into dealing with this problem. In response to the question of safety for the general public, South Boston Today was told that the neighborhood is safe, and people should not fear going out anytime during the day or night.
Local police have beefed up patrols in all three of South Boston’s main public housing developments and have a police cruiser sitting at the basketball courts at West Broadway 24/7. Police are also working closely with the people at the Condon Elementary School and the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods near every development. Both uniformed and plain clothes officers are patrolling regularly in an effort to nip any new potential criminal activity in the bud.
As was stated, this is a problem that has been ongoing since last summer and arrests are being made. However, it might be a problem that may not be going away anytime soon, so police have put in a request for extra resources since this situation is high on the list of priorities. They assure us that they plan to solve the problem as soon as possible. They don’t intend to let it get out of control which law enforcement officials say is definitely something that has not reached that stage.
If you would like more information on this or other potential issues within the South Boston Community, residents are always encouraged to call the Area C-6 Community Service Officer’s phone Number at 617-343-4747 with questions or if you have information to share. And remember – never hesitate to call 911 if you see a crime in progress or suspicious activity.
