Crime Has Gone Down in the Back Bay

By Nick Davis
BACK BAY - In the last three months of 2007, crime fell in the Back Bay, Kenmore Square, and the South End, according to police sources.

However, the neighborhoods saw an increase in larceny and attempted larceny. In 2007, police reported 3,101 larceny and attempted larceny incidents compared with 2,930 in 2006.

William Onuoha, the neighborhood coordinator for the Back Bay, said the increase of larceny in the Back Bay was a result of people leaving items in their cars such as GPS systems, laptops and cell phones, which is easy for panhandlers to get in too. “People leaving things in their car shows there is not a worry in local residents, which is a good thing,” Onuoha said.

Onuoha says crime has dropped in the Back Bay because of police officers “walking the beat”. “Because police are walking along the streets in Back Bay it creates a heightened sense of security, which deters crime and makes the community safer,” said Onuoha.

Trina Bellavance, visual merchandiser at Louis Boston, has not noticed a difference. “I think Back Bay has always been a safe neighborhood,” Bellavance said. “I think the Boson Police Department and the different associations within Back Bay have really made a big effort to make the neighborhood safer in recent years.”

Kim Brown, a junior at Northeastern University said students are frequently getting computers, bikes and their wallets stolen at her school. “I always see crime reports in the school paper about people getting things stolen,” Brown said.

Brown also said she thinks Back Bay has become much cleaner in recent years. “I remember there was a lot more homeless people and I would see graffiti on walls of buildings when I would go shopping,” Brown said.

One of the major reasons crime has dropped in the Back Bay is the NABBers, a sub section within Neighborhood Alliance of Back Bay. The group's mission is to combat the graffiti in the Back Bay.

Alex Cooper, director for membership and marketing for the Back Bay Association, Alex Cooper, said clean streets improve the vitality of Back Bay. “An issue always is to support retail business on Newbury Street," Cooper said. "To make sure that independent stores are able to stay in business on such a competitive retail zone The Back Bay is Boston’s most thriving business district so the issue was always to maintain the economic vitality of the economy because it’s so central.”

The seven categories mentioned in the crime report were homicide, rape and attempted, robbery and attempted, aggravated assault, burglary and attempted, larceny and attempted, and vehicle theft and attempted.