Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city’s community partners are pulling outreach workers from a troubled area of the city known as “Mass & Cass” — an area of the city plagued by homelessness and substance abuse — amid growing concerns for public safety. In recent months, Wu said, police officers and others have been attacked in the area around the intersection of Mass. Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. City data shows Boston EMS responses to the area have doubled from a year ago. Wu said the city needs to find a better way to separate those who need treatment from those who are causing problems. “We’ve seen the crowding of people who very much need services, but then with additional drug activity, human trafficking activity, and violence,” Wu said. “The number of emergency calls has gone up significantly. And most of all, the feedback from our community partners on the ground that even the outreach workers who have been out there day after day after day are not feeling comfortable, not feeling like they can physically, safely be there anymore.”Wu said that city teams are continuing the ongoing effort to connect people in the area with treatment services, when appropriate. “As additional hundreds of people have arrived, it is not often to access services,” she said. “We need a better mechanism for sorting out how to connect people who need services with that treatment and support and help, but then how to also just quell and eliminate the illegal behavior and violence that has been taking place.”The mayor said the city needs to develop a different approach to the area but did not elaborate on what that may be. Wu said she’s still looking toward putting a facility on Long Island but that’s still four or more years away.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city’s community partners are pulling outreach workers from a troubled area of the city known as “Mass & Cass” — an area of the city plagued by homelessness and substance abuse — amid growing concerns for public safety.
In recent months, Wu said, police officers and others have been attacked in the area around the intersection of Mass. Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. City data shows Boston EMS responses to the area have doubled from a year ago.
Wu said the city needs to find a better way to separate those who need treatment from those who are causing problems.
“We’ve seen the crowding of people who very much need services, but then with additional drug activity, human trafficking activity, and violence,” Wu said. “The number of emergency calls has gone up significantly. And most of all, the feedback from our community partners on the ground that even the outreach workers who have been out there day after day after day are not feeling comfortable, not feeling like they can physically, safely be there anymore.”
Wu said that city teams are continuing the ongoing effort to connect people in the area with treatment services, when appropriate.
“As additional hundreds of people have arrived, it is not often to access services,” she said. “We need a better mechanism for sorting out how to connect people who need services with that treatment and support and help, but then how to also just quell and eliminate the illegal behavior and violence that has been taking place.”
The mayor said the city needs to develop a different approach to the area but did not elaborate on what that may be. Wu said she’s still looking toward putting a facility on Long Island but that’s still four or more years away.
