BOSTON — Dave Blanchard gets a lot out of his jewelry store on Boston Common. He serves many tourists at the popular destination, but he admits he sometimes worries about his safety. “I do worry to a certain extent. It worries me when acts of violence happen so close to our store,” Blanchard said.
The stabbing happened late Thursday night near Brewer Fountain. Boston police said four people were walking to a hotel when they tried to intervene in a road-rage argument between two groups when someone pulled out a knife and stabbed one of the guests in the abdomen and injured three others.
“Why wait for something to happen? You can’t wait until the last moment,” said Honey Gadd, owner of Lambert’s Marketplace across from the Common, who said there needs to be a stronger police presence and blames much of the violence on high homelessness and drug use.
Gadd said he watched as police arrested a Lynnfield man after he allegedly fired a gun on the Common Monday night, seriously wounding another person. “We need action from the police, the city and the state. We need to come together and help get this under control,” Gadd said.
Emergency Public Safety Meeting
The recent incidents were so severe that City Councilman Ed Flynn called for an emergency public safety meeting with Boston Common in mind. “Increased police presence and enforcement is absolutely necessary to deter criminal activity,” Flynn said.
Michael Nichols of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District said these are isolated incidents, but they’re also part of a pattern. “It’s brought renewed attention to an area that needs collective action and energy to maintain the safety that is widely enjoyed downtown,” Nichols said.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu argues that’s what’s happening. “We know that places where people traditionally gather in the summertime need additional resources to keep everyone safe,” Wu said.
Honey Gadd says she is fed up with her shop being robbed so often, even having the glass in her door broken.
Freedom Trail tour guide Sean Caron says the city’s reputation is at stake. “We’re a tourist town,” Caron said. “When people hear the shooting, a lot of people get scared. A lot of people don’t want to go into that area.”
It’s a time when the city wants to attract people.
Beth Germano
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