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Far fewer residents said they felt “less safe” compared to the beginning of the year than in a similar survey conducted in 2024.
Most people feel that downtown Boston has become a safer place compared to a year ago, according to a survey of hundreds of residents and stakeholders conducted by the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association.
The association hosted the Downtown Boston Public Safety Summit on Thursday night at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, where it presented the survey results. The summit brought together city and state officials, law enforcement, civic and nonprofit organizations, faith leaders, and business and trade associations.
The event was a follow-up to a similar convening in February, which brought attention to the widespread public safety issues in the downtown area, according to the association’s website.
The new survey showed that 33.7 percent of respondents said they felt “less safe” in the downtown and Boston Common areas compared to the beginning of the year, down from 70.6 percent who said the same in November 2024 in comparison to the beginning of that year. Despite this considerable decrease, 92 percent of respondents said that public safety still remains an urgent issue for the downtown area, according to Boston Business Journal.
At Thursday’s summit, panelists tackled issues such as drug use, petty crime, road safety, street and infrastructure appearance, and cleanliness, Boston Business Journal reported. Rishi Shukla, the association’s co-founder, said that Boston is “remarkably safe” in the way of violent crimes and homicides but needs to improve in response to smaller quality-of-life issues.
“Let’s take stock of what’s worked,” Shukla said. “Let’s celebrate the good work of many folks who are in this room and on the stage, but let’s also figure out where we still need to be better.”
While evidence presented at the summit pointed to significant decreases in violent crimes, syringe-related 311 calls, and overdose deaths, attendees expressed that retail thefts and barriers to entry for businesses remain prevalent issues, according to Boston Business Journal.
However, retail vacancies are at their lowest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic, which Downtown Boston Alliance President Michael Nichols attributed to people feeling safer.
“Any open office space and any open retail space is a phenomenal business opportunity downtown,” Nichols said at Thursday’s summit. “Anytime someone’s interested in bringing a business, we will consider who they think their audience is and bring them through the district.”
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