911 records show dozens of calls for disturbances, violence at Boston Macy’s

BOSTON — In 19 months the Boston Police Dept. was called to the Macy’s department store in Downtown Crossing nearly 150 times for reports of disturbances, threats, and acts of violence, records show.

Boston 25 reviewed hundreds of 911 calls made to 450 Washington St. between Jan. 1, 2022, and Aug. 7, 2023. The most recent violent incident occurred Monday inside Macy’s when police said a store security guard was slashed in the hand trying to remove a group of unruly teens. A 13-year-old and 15-year-old were charged in the attack, investigators said.

911 records show police were called to the Macy’s location dozens of times since the beginning of 2022:

• 100 calls for a disturbance, including 60 calls for a “group causing a disturbance”
• 21 calls for assault and battery
• 11 calls for a person with a knife
• 11 calls for fights
• 3 calls for a person with a gun

The records don’t indicate when a 911 call resulted in an arrest.

“Macy’s prioritizes the safety and well-being of customers and colleagues. To provide a secure and pleasant shopping environment, we have Asset Protection staff in our stores and cooperate with law enforcement to address any potential risks,” a Macy’s spokesperson said.

There have been other recent acts of violence in Downtown Crossing, including several cases involving teens. Two 13 year olds were accused of attacking people and vandalizing businesses in May 2022. In February, police said five adults were hurt in attacks involving suspects between 11 and 16 years old, and a man died after being punched near an ATM on Winter St. on St. Patrick’s Day.

A Boston Police spokesperson said the issue is “very much on our radar,” adding the department has used different tactics—including citing suspects for trespassing--to crackdown on criminal activity.

“We continue to work closely with the residents and businesses in the area to address safety issues and disruptive behavior and we are grateful for their partnership,” BPD Chief of Communications Mariellen Burns said.

The Macy’s security guard involved in Monday’s attack suffered non-life threatening injuries. According to police, one of the teen suspects held a knife to they guard’s stomach. When the guard attempted to disarm the teen, police said he was punched several times and cut on the hand. Another security guard tried to help his co-worker was also attacked, police said.

“Downtown Crossing has been at times challenging,” said Boston 25 Security Analyst and former Superintendent-in-Chief Dan Linskey. “They’ve done a good job in District One and the [Downtown Boston] Business Improvement District has improved visibility by adding cameras. That has cleared out some of the concerns but clearly there’s some work to do.”

19-year-old Riva works in Cambridge and said she doesn’t mind shopping in Downtown Crossing during the day, but would avoid the area after dark.

“I feel like the later it is, the more unsafe I feel. There’s less families around,” she said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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