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Downtown's city councilor calls for end of all events on the Common, says area no longer safe

After a man was stabbed in Downtown Crossing yesterday, City Councilor Ed Flynn (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, Downtown) called on the city to end all organized events on the Common:

Residents,workers & tourists continue to tell me they no longer feel safe in Downtown Crossing & Boston Common. With several permitted events already scheduled in Boston Common, I’m recommending these events not take place. Many parts of Boston Common are no longer safe!

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Comments

Has Ed endorsed Josh Kraft yet?

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Voting closed 49

With this level of grandstanding, I'm guessing he's gonna run himself.

It's gonna be fun watching Wu destroy all these guys.

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Voting closed 19

With this level of grandstanding, I'm guessing he's gonna run himself.

I'm thinking the same thing. His father was well-known for following the sirens to get in front of the TV and newspaper cameras when he was mayor. But I don't think it's going to work as well for Ed in the internet age where everyone can roast him for his fearmongering and NIMBY bullshit.

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Strangest damn statement. We are at lowest crime rates for Boston since maybe Paul Revere's ride. As a neighbor to the Common I would like more events.

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Voting closed 128

Go away Flynn.

Maybe instead of clutching your pearls, take action and maybe get with BPD to fix the issues in the area that you feel so strongly about.

Banning events isn't the way to go. Ever hear of safety in numbers? Large crowds of people will keep this stuff at a bay.

And of course, more police presence would help too. And I mean real beat walking, not sitting in your car or standing around in a circle jerking their gherkins talking to each other. Like actually do patrols and walk around.

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Voting closed 191

… by zealots this weekend. Especially risky for vampires and such.

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A lot of people don't understand safety in numbers. When I lived in New York, I happily walked home through a crowded park on summer nights, rather than taking the slightly longer route on almost-deserted streets.

People also discount some dangers, because we're used to them, with the famous example that the most dangerous part of most airline trips is the drive to the airport. If Flynn really wants to keep people safe, the City Council could work to improve dangerous intersections, or look at enforcing speed limits and laws against reckless driving.

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Voting closed 101

If no one is there, can't have any crime. Makes total sense. /s

Does he not want anything to happen ever? No events in DTX or the Common. St. Patrick's Day moved out of Southie. Apparently, his approach to all societal problems in his district is just to keep everyone out.

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Voting closed 84

Just ignore the men in raincoats wearing ankle bracelets.

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If his only solution to scattered criminal activity downtown is to keep people away, he does not belong in his position as representative of the people of Boston. He should go write for Fox News or something

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We all know that the St. Patrick's Parade cause all sorts of problems ...

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..and someone needs to run against him to kick him out of office next year.

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Crime is too dangerous, so we citizens should leave and let lawlessness overtake the common?

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Ed Flynn is attempting to spur one of our billionaires to become Batman...

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Yes Ed Flynn just surrendered one of his areas of representation to criminals. GET MORE POLICE ASSIGNED TO THE AREA SCARDEY CAT!

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Instead of worrying about Bike lanes and Bike in every Neighborhood and Speed Bumps let's use the Money to pay for Exira Police and use our Heads I have not Yet seen Mayor Wu address the Crime in The City Of Boston

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Voting closed 48

I'd rather see money be used to get you a spellcheck....

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Police arrive in minutes.

You'd have to literally hire police at a 1:1 citizen ratio to stop crime.

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Cuz of crooked cops.

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The problem for hiring extra police is lack of recruits. I think they're already working mandatory overtime.

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Andrew Station should also be closed and the St Patty's parade canceled forever?

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Voting closed 55

I almost thought this was a joke. THAT'S his answer? Surrender to the criminal element by completely emptying the place out, running away and hiding? This guy is a complete chooch. Maybe he can get kicked upstairs to be the Pope's umbrella holder like his father was and we'll be rid of him.

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Voting closed 49

… with the dangers of motor vehicles and secondhand smoke in his district before anything else. But that would be too much work for him so everyone stay home and give him a break.

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and I intend to be there, if rain doesn't postpone or cancel it.

Tito Puente Jr. with Edwin Pabon

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Ron, your endless well of energy and determination to go out and soak up everything this city has to offer is pretty damned impressive.

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Voting closed 82

Have you met Ron? He's pretty amazing as is...

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... at the Lowell Folk Festival a number of times -- but not this year. ;-)

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but it's a huge event with multiple stages all over downtown Lowell.

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I was there for a play a couple of weeks ago and saw a guy get chased off stage by a BEAR.

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Voting closed 64

performed live! Had only ever read it as maybe the most famous stage direction ever in English. A beautiful night on the Common!

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There were bears and cubs all over thus beautiful city

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without any update to either of the web pages that had promoted it, and also without any signage at the concert location. Do better next time, Berklee and IBA.

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Lol. They are not stupid and have seen enough the first time

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...who still haven't seen Boston Common "the first time".

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so it seemed reasonable for a 7 pm show to go on as scheduled. But it didn't.

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This guy Flynn becomes mayor, Boston is done.

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Voting closed 33

The irony is that the Common is most dangerous when there is no events being held. The every day riff raff is the problem. (He’s right that it’s a problem).

But I don’t think it’s a problem when crowds gather for an event. He’s wrong to focus on “events” as an issue.

And yes, Mayor Wu, BpD and the DA/Courts could do a lot more to keep the city safe.

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Voting closed 51

Said "If we don't (blank), the terrorists win" after 9/11.

What an embarrassing coward. Anyone who votes for him again is a schmuck.

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Any word on whether the poor fellow was stabbed with a bicycle, or is Ed still investigating?

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Is there a generalized threat?

08162024, 21:14

Is this political hay-making pure and simple? (Even something good comes from that.)

I thought we were all mad at Regan and Clinton for emptying the unwell from care facilities and transfer the wealth to prisons.

Maybe this is an attempt to shake up our apathy and callousness and get these people help.

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… according to Flynn’s security advisor, Refugly.

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One of the ways that you reclaim public space for common good, is by using spaces for common good. When there are public events in areas where crime has occured, it discourages the use of those spaces for nefarious purposes.

In the 1980s, the Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative came together to address a number of community issues that were contributing to rapid urban decay in the greater Dudley (now Nubian) square area. Amongst several issues, there was a growing issue with drug use, sex work, and associated crime in local parks, particularly at night. This group began to work on solutions (without much assistance from the city proper because it was a poor black neighborhood) that were realistic and achievable with limited funding and minimal engagement outside of the neighborhood.

They began to hold community events that occupied the parks during the evening, had volunteer patrols at night whose presence served to discourage use by drug dealers, gang members, and others who would otherwise hold the spaces hostages and frighten regular people from using them. Over time, these types of interventions served to both discourage unwanted use while encouraging community friendly use.

The irony in all of this is that the mayor who worked collaboratively with the DSNI was none other than Ed Flynn's father, Ray Flynn.

Perhaps Ed should have learned a little bit more from his dad.

Another example of this is more recently in Codman Square, addressing ongoing drug use and crime in Codman Square park. Friends of the Park lead by a mixture of citizens, community leaders, and representatives from local organizations, convened to host ongoing family-friendly events in the park, and worked to develop a revitalization project that was in part designed by a local artist, Destiny Palmer, to improve the park and make it more welcoming for a variety of uses.https://codmansquarecouncil.org/friends-of-the-codman-square-park/

That project remains ongoing and is an example of community based participatory interventions that find unique solutions to complicated social problems.

As Cynthia Loesch of the Codman Square Neighborhood Council and of the group, Friends of the Park, opens each meeting: "We need to know our history in order to know where we're going".

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Voting closed 64

I wish instead of a thumbs up I could heart this post because it's so spot on.

This is exactly the point and the way to do it. You don't just cancel events and usher people away from bad areas, because what you are essentially surrendering to the crime, which in return welcomes MORE crime.

Safety in numbers and community involvement help reduce crime.

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<3 back atcha.

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of Jane Jacob's Death and Life of Great American Cities:
https://brooklinebooksmith.com/book/9780679741954

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Because of course, when one visits a city as a tourist, one only naturally researches and follows up with a random city councilor to debrief on their trip and how it made them feel.

you know, a lot of people are saying Ed Flynn makes stuff up, lotta people, good people. just yesterday a tourist came up to me, tears in his eyes, and said, I can't stand that Ed Flynn and his fabrications. and you hear it everywhere, dont you? just incredible, folks.

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If rwgfy hasn't commented on this post, which is all they talk about every day, rwfgy must be Ed Flynn.

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So maybe Flynn is a spy.

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Just cover it with tennis courts. Pickleballers will chase criminals and everyone else out.

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.

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Gee Councillah Flynn how bout the stabbin spree in the rest of ya District so fah this Summah?

Man stabbed during 100 person fight at Carson Beach in South Boston

May 25, 2024 / 6:25 PM EDT / CBS Boston
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/carson-beach-south-boston-stabbing-1...

South Boston man charged in Andrew Station attack
Jun 10, 2024
https://www.suffolkdistrictattorney.com/press-releases/items/2024/6/10/s...

Person sustains minor injuries after being stabbed in Boston Whole Foods
Jun 29, 2024
https://www.wcvb.com/article/minor-injuries-after-being-stabbed-boston-w...

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Voting closed 19

Oh great. So crime wins!!!! Violence wins over civility. Hate wins over kindness. Drugs and addiction are needed to keep all the doctors and drug traffickers paid. There ya have it.

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he forgot to say “until we can figure out what’s going on”

how am i supposed to vote for you if you can’t even bother to show the slightest bit of attention to detail

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Voting closed 12