Violence in Boston’s parks and streets Sunday evening and early yesterday left two men dead and four wounded, including an 11-year-old boy, says the Boston Globe. One case was a drug deal on Boston Common that went awry, resulting in a shooting and a stabbing. Mayor Thomas Menino promised more police at city parks and increased vigilance by law enforcement. “We’re not going to let any hoodlums take over our city,” Menino said.
Police Commissioner Kathleen O’Toole called the six-hour surge of violence “very unusual. Boston is a relatively safe city. Our violent crime this year is actually down. Our homicide rate is spiking right now, so that is of concern to us.” The bloodshed took place just after Boston put on its best face for thousands of out-of-towners and after round-the-clock security kept the city largely trouble-free. “It would be great if we had the extra security as was provided during the [Democratic National Convention] all the time to curtail some of this violence,” said the Rev. William E. Dickerson Jr. of Dorchester’s Greater Love Tabernacle Church. “That’s part of the solution. The other part is community involvement, parental involvement, employment, and educational opportunities.”
Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/08/03/violence_surges_city_vows_vigilance/