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Police try large coordinated raids to shut down Boston's rolling weekend street parties

Boston Police report eight arrests, dozens of tickets and 19 vehicle seizures and one gun seizure during a weekend series of raids at several locations from Roslindale to Dorchester on Saturday aimed at busting up the large rolling parties of scooters, ATVs and speaker-equipped and booze-filled cars that have become a regular event across the city.

The raids, which BPD organized with help from State Police and BTD tow-truck operators, were large enough to have their own code name - Operation Quiet Streets - and dedicated police radio channel to coordinate them. They took place Saturday night in the areas of Franklin Park - where metal barriers placed across roads on weekend nights have proven too easy to move - the strip mall on American Legion Highway in Roslindale near Walk Hill Street, Old Road in Dorchester and Von Hillern Street and Dorchester Avenue, also in Dorchester.

Organized groups of individuals – many from outside the City of Boston and the State of Massachusetts, including hundreds of vehicles, have been congregating in certain public areas of the City of Boston. These groups have been engaging in activity ranging from quality-of-life infractions to serious criminal activities. These activities can involve reckless operation of recreational vehicles with disregard for public safety.

Other criminal activity includes firearm violence, assaults, public consumption of alcohol, open drug consumption, fireworks and playing loud music. Additionally, various violations of the auto laws, such as drag racing, have occurred with these gatherings. Emergency Deployment Teams (EDTs) have been deployed to disperse these groups and have been met with resistance.

In total, police say, officers made 8 arrests, issued 4 summonses, handed out 57 moving-violation citations and 2 parking tickets, seized 3 scooters or ATVs and 8 "speaker cars," had 6 cars towed for auto-law violations and recovered one gun.

These gatherings have become a primary source of 911 calls and community complaints to the Boston Police Department due to its impact on the quality of life of and quiet enjoyment within neighborhoods.

Not hit on Saturday were some other trouble spots, including the Arboretum and the other strip mall on American Legion Highway in Roslindale.

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Comments

This should have been addressed a while ago.

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Hello Chelsea PD.. are you paying attention?

We have this problem too. I've been waiting for it to come across the bridge from Boston since these were first reported a few years ago, and it finally has. All summer long its been motor bikes, these very loud car stereos.. I can't include loud parties because those have been going on in my 'hood for as long as I've lived there (so its really not a problem).

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About time these nuisance scofflaws were dealt with.

Keep it up

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"Organized groups of individuals – many from outside the City of Boston and the State of Massachusetts".

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These groups have been engaging in activity ranging from quality-of-life infractions to serious criminal activities. These activities can involve reckless operation of recreational vehicles with disregard for public safety.

They should really be cracking down on the cyclists and motorists that do this daily.

(Yes I know, there were incidents with firearms/DUIs/assaults/drag racing/loud music around these gatherings as well. Great, they made 8 arrests, 4 summonses and dished out 57 moving violations. More of that!)

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What is a speaker car?

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We got a fool who drives a tricked out Jeep with these in the rear window here in Chelsea. You can hear this thing before you ever see it come down the street.

I've dubbed it the "Asshole car" because that's what it is. An asshole blaring their idiotic music without giving a rats ass about anyone around them. This is what an asshole does.

I really question how safe it is to drive like that. It's far louder than any factory radio, so you would never hear something screaming if you were about to hit them.

And honestly the way I see this guy bebopping to his music, he could have a head on collision and wouldn't know it until the airbag deployed. (read: totally not paying attention to the road)

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I wanted to see what the site sells. The anti-virus program however suggested this site is dangerous. I did not look into the details of whether the danger is in the form of viruses, keyloggers or other malware.

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Not that I would buy them, but those prices seem very low for those systems. Seems like the kind of place they'd take my credit card and just max it out and never send me a thing.

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Exactly

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My headphones cost 3 times what those do. I bet they sound like 2 tin cans and lots of farts. And it's a shady scam site.

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Is this legit?

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need to grow some balls and do the same with all the booze parties on DCR property.

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On the Esplanade...

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Saw these folks along American Legion on the edge of Franklin Park a few weeks ago. Scores of cars parked behind the flexposts in the bike lane, with massive speakers in their trunks cranking up the bass so that the music be heard far into the park.

Glad the BPD isn't just laughing off the complaints about this.

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This has been evolving for the past few years and only getting larger, louder, and more disruptive. Instead of arresting and cracking down, how about designating and organizing a location where these cars can enjoy themselves away from the public. This is culture that has no end to it. Unfortunately, it is like an addictive drug which people will continue to use. Arresting will not solve the problem. Suspending their license will not solve the problem. Someone needs to take the initiative a find these ppl a location away from our streets. Similar to the Long Bridge discussion happening with the ppl at Mass and Cass

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These are already fairly underpopulated areas (Von Hillern street is purely industrial, Walk Hill is mostly cemeteries), but they aren't unpopulated enough to tolerate this kind and level of noise.

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would work for me

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...is on private property that you own or have permission to be on, and your enjoyment, whatever form it takes, may not carry beyond the property line. That's it.

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The only major city in New England is not the place for this. Especially since most of these losers are not from Boston.

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I recommend that spot over there right beyond that nice looking cliff off in the distance.. looks like a good location :).

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Almost there, you definitely need to provide areas for recreation, I don't think it has to be far away from the public, where ever that is. There is obviously a big draw for the activity, so invest in making it safe and reducing noise pollution but putting it in a arena. White stadium busy?

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I am so glad this is happening. I feel so bad for people who have to deal with this noise! It seems getting a false sense of power by making other people mad is the basic purpose of blasting the music.

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I was looking online at a condo on Walk Hill St. that seemed to be a really good deal. Now I know why! They'd have to pay me to put up with that.

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It's a block party. Anyone mad is just mad they don't feel invited. Listen to the music, buy a drink or an ice pop, steal a mini bike. Whatever. Have some fun. ACAB

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Use 'em.

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Or UYNT, if you prefer vile slogans.

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I honestly can't tell, it's pretty over the top but there's some pretty stupid stuff posted here with a straight face, so...

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IMAGE(https://frinkiac.com/video/S07E24/h_BuvkZki5dZdmpm4DHYRB7wF0Y=.gif)

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Or better, provide your address so that you can enjoy the same violations of peach and quiet that these block parties provide to residents who are not interested in joining these fetes.

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Quiet, however, is priceless.

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It's not a block party. The people who live in those neighborhoods are not invited and completely disrespected by these roving bands of miscreants. I can only imagine you have not had one of these bands roll through your neighborhood.

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Since Boston Common is a lost cause, why not allow them to congregate there?

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Boston Common is fine. The pond, playground and carousel are full of little children having fun. I guess they are braver than you.

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...which is probably the last time you were anywhere near Boston Common, if you were ever there.

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Shakespeare on the Common is over for this summer, but we've still got the Emerson UnCommon Stage and Berklee summer concerts at Brewer Fountain Plaza

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This kind of policing could be good for the reputation of local police. These "parties" are assaults on quality of life for everyone who lives near enough to the sound for the volume to pound. Near enough meaning that skin color, income, renter or home owner are irrelevant. The volume assaults everyone within the range and rage of the noise. When these assaults are stopped then it is easier to make a connection between the taxes that pay for police and what police do for the residents of the city.

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is there any legal alternative ?

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