BOSTON — The revolving door of new faces on Boston’s Mass and Cass corridor is leading to escalating frustration about the lack of involvement from other cities and towns.
The Newmarket Business Improvement District estimates that more than 60 percent of the people currently congregated in the area have traveled from other communities.
The issue was among a list of topics discussed during Tuesday night’s Zoom meeting organized by the South End — Newmarket — Roxbury Working Group on Addiction, Recovery, and Homelessness.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden addressed the outrage from those who feel they’re continuing to bear the brunt of the burden.
“The cities and towns that are literally sending their people here. That’s just not okay,” said Hayden.
Hayden said he’s hopeful that next month’s election may bring a new strategy from the state.
He believes a new administration could help to put pressure on other communities to come to the table — whether they like it or not.
“I am optimistic we will be able to engage with a new governor and new AG in short order to get a more comprehensive regionalized approach to this,” he explained.
Neighbors and business leaders said they’re sick and tired of waiting for other Massachusetts cities and towns to step up to the plate.
“These cities and towns have done nothing so to speak to help us,” said concerned citizen Clayton Turnbull. “Traditionally, they have had a deaf ear to helping the city of Boston.”
BPD’s Street Outreach Unit released new statistics that show arrests in the area have increased by 81 percent compared to this same time last year.
“90 percent of the people out there don’t belong in jail. They need treatment,” said Sgt. Peter Messina. “We’re the city of Boston. We have the best educational institutions in the world. We can’t think of something a little bit different that no one has thought of before to divert these individuals from jail to treatment?”
During the meeting, some pleaded for public officials to get behind the enforcement of involuntary treatment in certain cases.
There were also repeated calls to ban open air drug use.
“For every two drug dealers arrested, there’s four more coming to take their place,” said Sue Sullivan with the Newmarket Business Improvement District.
Business leaders and city officials are asking people to stop bringing food to the large crowd attracted to the area’s open air drug market.
They said it’s causing increased trash accumulation, worsening the rodent problem and contributing to other challenges.
“The prepared foods, for many reasons, is an issue,” said Tania Del Rio, director of the city’s Coordinated Response Team. “Providers use food as an incentive to get people in the door.”
Del Rio also explained the challenges in keeping encampments cleared from public streets.
“We are prohibited by the constitution from confiscating people’s belongings,” she said.
She explained that law enforcement has been asking people to take makeshift structures down.
However, she said structures are often quickly set right back up.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW