For many nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the end of a shift has become something they dread.
Several employees say they’ve returned to the Mission Park Garage on Vining Street to find their vehicles damaged, broken into, or gone altogether.
Boston Police confirm that since May 1, there have been three car break-ins and three vehicle thefts reported at or near 10 Vining Street.
Nurses like Jim McCarthy say the incidents have left many employees concerned about their safety and the security of their vehicles.
“In the last couple weeks, it’s been crazy in regard to the amount of break-ins,” McCarthy said. “I noticed my door was ajar which is not normally like that. I went and opened it up, it looked like a bomb went off.”
McCarthy explained that he and other nurses have raised concerns with hospital leaders, but say they’ve been told the hospital can’t do much as they don’t own the garage but rather lease it.
Boston25 reached out to Mass General Brigham about these concerns and after doing so, they said they upped their security effective immediately.
Changes include closing the rear gate to the garage temporarily from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., adding more security details on the evening and overnight shift, as well as requesting additional Boston Police details.
“Everyone has brought this to security themselves, and I haven’t seen any increase in patrols or anything else until this weekend when I think they heard that you guys were notified about it, and then they upped patrols, got BPD here,” McCarthy said.
For the nurses who park at the garage day after day, they say they’re looking for more than awareness. They want reassurance that when their shift is over, their cars will be waiting for them in the same condition they left them in.
“It’s a violation of the trust we have in the hospital, and that trust is broken, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to get fixed,” McCarthy said.
Boston Police report that those incidents remain under investigation.
Nurses also say the security concerns are part of the reason they’re moving toward a strike authorization vote, happening Tuesday night.
Mass General Brigham responded by saying what remains at the bargaining table is wage related.
Boston 25 News did reach out to the owner of the garage for comment but has yet to hear back.
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