South End arrests increased by 163% this summer, police say

Local News

The sharp spike in arrests comes amid ongoing calls for city officials to rein in public drug use and related crime near Mass. and Cass and the South End.

As Boston officials continue to field complaints about rising crime in and around the South End, new statistics shared by police show a staggering increase in the number of arrests that occurred in the neighborhood this year.

Between May 1 and Aug. 24, the South End saw 478 arrests, up from 182 during the same period last year. This represents a 163% increase, according to statistics shared by Boston Police Department officials at a “Community CompStat” meeting at the end of August. The arrest numbers, along with a number of other statistics, were summarized in a document that was shared with Boston.com this week. 

For much of this year, residents, community leaders, and elected officials have been sounding a steady drumbeat of alarm. They say that people are gathering to use drugs in new areas of the city, causing needles to be strewn about on sidewalks and in parks. Residents have reported home break-ins, people injecting opioids on their front steps, and public defecation. Shoplifting is a growing concern.

Some blame the Wu administration for its handling of the area known as Mass. and Cass. City officials successfully cleared a major tent encampment there in late 2023, but last year began to acknowledge spillover effects in other neighborhoods. 

Shortly after the BPD statistics were shared at the end of this summer, scores of emotional residents and business owners packed a City Council hearing to demand action. The same week, the Wu administration increased police presence around Mass. and Cass. Close to 100 officers who recently graduated from the Boston Police Academy were among those assigned to the area. 

But City Councilor Ed Flynn, who represents the South End, is still fielding a constant stream of calls from constituents about crime and quality of life issues. 

“It’s ongoing, it’s significant, it’s actually increased,” he told Boston.com Wednesday.

Flynn criticized the Wu administration, but praised the work of BPD officers. He called for the city to keep increasing the police presence around Mass. and Cass, including a dedicated bike patrol focused on that area. Boston does not have enough police officers, Flynn said, and officials need to make a concerted effort to address any staffing shortages. He said that efforts by other councilors to decrease police funding are misguided. 

“We need criminal justice reform. It’s part of the solution as well,” he said. “I know this issue as well as anybody due to my experience for eight years as a Superior Court probation officer.”

The BPD document included a number of other data points about crime in the South End over the summer. The department responded to 336 major crime incidents in the neighborhood between May 1 and Aug. 24, with June being the most active month. Aggravated assaults in particular rose sharply, from six in May to 21 in June. 

July was the busiest month for quality of life calls to the BPD this summer, with 838 total calls. According to the document, 325 of these calls were for public intoxication. Most of the quality of life calls were for areas along Massachusetts Avenue. 

Flynn said that he is not seeing nearly enough urgency around this issue from his City Council colleagues. 

“They’re not focused on this issue for the most part. They don’t spend enough time in the South End or Roxbury to understand what is happening,” he said. “Now is the time for positive leadership in the city. We’re not getting it from the Boston City Council unfortunately.”