Commissioner’s message
Dear friends,
Welcome to BPDNews.com, the Boston Police Department’s Virtual Community! This site is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning more about the department and also about what we are doing to reach our goal of making Boston the safest city in the nation. As a department we are constantly striving for new and creative ways to keep our community informed. We have expanded BPDNews.com into a virtual community which will provide city residents and guests with important information and new ways to stay connected and engaged in the City’s public safety efforts.
I am pleased to report that Boston continues to experience an overall decrease in crime. Currently, violent crime is down 7 %, Property Crime is down 7 % and Part One Crime is down 7 %. Working closely with our community, we hope to continue on this downward trend and reduce crime in every category by at least 10%.
I have always been an advocate for community policing. As Police Commissioner in Boston, my focus remains on creating a trusting relationship between the police and the community that we serve.
To reduce crime, we must engage in focused efforts, not indiscriminate policing. We need to know the people that live and work in our community and we need to be talking to them.
Over two years ago, I created Safe Street Teams that are deployed in neighborhoods throughout Boston that have seen the most violence. These 14 teams are trained in intervention skills and focus on strengthening ties with our communities, addressing quality of life issues, and deterring crime.
Safe Street Teams have sustained, meaningful contact with local business owners. On any given day, officers can be seen checking in with local storeowners to exchange information and talk about what’s going on in the neighborhood.
This relationship is symbiotic…….Safe Street Teams have helped storeowners to protect their businesses …….and storeowners have acted as guardians and assist the police to enforce safety standards.
There is much that can be accomplished when people come together and work toward a common goal. The business community can offer many valuable resources to public safety.
A perfect example of innovative programs launched to better address community concerns includes the Boston Police Department’s Text-A-Tip project. I am proud to say that the Boston Police Department is the first department in the country to offer this innovative initiative.
Text-A-Tip is a valuable tool that allows individuals to anonymously send a text message to a tip line. This program has essentially tripled the amount of information that the CrimeStoppers Unit receives from concerned community members. Since the launch of this innovative program we have received over 1,000 text tips….. tips that have led to drug, gang and violent crime arrests.
Safe Street Teams and the Text-a-Tip program are but a few examples of the type of collaboration and innovation necessary to create safe environments for our residents to live, play and work. Please continue to explore our web site and learn more about additional programs designed to improve the quality of life for residents, business owners and visitors.
It is through our relationship with the community, that the City of Boston has seen the lowest levels of Part I and Violent Crime in over 40 years. Effective policing is built on connection, which is why I am pleased to introduce the BPD Virtual Community – a one stop source for public safety news and community alert information. Please become a part of our virtual community by taking some time to browse through the various information and links that are available. Over the next few months, we will be adding new and exciting information that will capture our true commitment to public safety and to improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods. I encourage you to continue to visit this site and to be part of our BPD virtual community.
Sincerely,
Edward F. Davis
Police Commissioner
