The Boston Metropolis Council slammed the Wu administration and Boston Police Division for blowing off a listening to on public security and BPD staffing shortages forward of a St. Patrick’s Day parade that led to violence final yr in Southie.
Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy, who sponsored the listening to order, have been amongst a variety of councilors who gave the impression to be caught off-guard by the shortage of police and administration presence at Thursday’s committee listening to, provided that one of many metropolis’s largest, and rowdiest, annual occasions is about to be held this weekend.
“We knew for a long time that police staffing has been an issue, but I didn’t know it was this bad,” Councilor John FitzGerald quipped. “It’s an important hearing to have, especially coming up on St. Patrick’s Day weekend. We have a very large-scale event, perhaps one of the biggest the city sees annually.”
FitzGerald mentioned he was attending the listening to, partially, to assist get details about the parade out to constituents, resembling how town and police function throughout these forms of large-scale occasions.
“I’m admittedly disappointed in both the administration and police for not even sending anybody,” FitzGerald mentioned. “I just think it would have been a good, timely conversation to have.”
Murphy mentioned the listening to was purposely scheduled forward of Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade to include public security plans for the occasion into the dialogue.
Violence and public drunkenness ultimately yr’s occasion prompted parade organizers and police to plan for an earlier begin time and extra safety for this weekend’s festivities and led to Flynn floating the potential for shifting the parade out of South Boston, ought to the previous “out-of-control behavior continue.”
Eight of 13 councilors confirmed up for the listening to, and with none panelists from BPD or the Wu administration current, opted to submit their questions in writing by way of the Public Security and Prison Justice Committee Chair Henry Santana.
“What’s the point of being an elected official if your only avenue is to submit questions?” Murphy mentioned. “That’s what residents are able to do through 311, or calling us directly.”
Flynn mentioned he spent hours getting ready questions for the listening to, and repeated his previous advocacy for having town rent a whole bunch of further cops to handle staffing shortages and compelled additional time that he mentioned is impacting public security.
Whereas not talked about on the day’s listening to, Flynn and Murphy’s preliminary submitting of the listening to order to handle police staffing shortages final summer time ticked off BPD management and didn’t sit nicely with the mayor who accused the 2 councilors she usually tussles with of “playing politics.”
Councilor Sharon Durkan, a staunch ally of the mayor, spoke in assist of her colleagues, saying she didn’t notice there wouldn’t be a panel to handle questions she had about public security plans for this weekend’s vacation festivities.
“It’s always very helpful to have a panel and someone responding,” Durkan mentioned. “If we’re taking our time to be here, there should be someone here on the other side. So I support my colleagues in asking for that.”
Mayor Michelle Wu’s workplace mentioned the police commissioner had prior commitments and his division had supplied to reschedule the listening to.
“The Boston Police Department and Mayor Wu are working with our city councilors and our neighborhoods to ensure Boston remains the safest major city in the country,” a metropolis spokesperson mentioned in a press release.
“The commissioner had prior commitments today, including joining Mayor Wu at a community briefing hosted by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s Mother’s Day Walk, to support violence prevention efforts and those impacted by violence, as well as taking part in the final Saint Patrick’s Day Parade briefing with our public safety partners.
“The Boston Police Department offered to find another date for this hearing, but the request to find a time that worked for both parties was not granted,” town spokesperson mentioned.
Murphy mentioned the administration’s clarification that the police commissioner had prior commitments on Thursday “does not sufficiently justify the complete absence of representation at our hearing.”
“Furthermore, the BPD’s suggestion to reschedule the hearing, without accommodating the Council’s timeline, undermines the urgency of the matter,” Murphy mentioned in a press release. “Holding the hearing after the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade would negate the proactive measures we aim to implement to ensure public safety during such events.”
Murphy added, “The absence of representatives from the Mayor’s Office and the Boston Police Department at today’s City Council hearing on public safety and police staffing is deeply disappointing and raises significant concerns about the administration’s commitment to addressing critical issues affecting our city.”
Initially Revealed:
