Public Safety

Neighborhood Response Team (NRT)

Phone:

617-635-4500

Email:

Flavio.Daveiga@cityofboston.gov (Bowdoin-Geneva); Walter.Applewhite@cityofboston.gov (Mattapan)

Website:

Mission:

The Neighborhood Response Team (NRT), a cross-departmental group representing Public Works, Transportation, Inspectional Services, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, seeks to address the local and specific issues affecting Boston's neighborhoods. Meeting with residents, community organizations, and numerous municipal bodies, the Team will focus on basic city services and improvements such as street lighting and sidewalk repairs, prioritizing trash and debris removal, and cracking down on problem properties and health and safety violations.

As of Nov. 2011, there are three regular NRT meetings, to address Mattapan, Codman Square, and Four Corners; Dudley Square and Blue Hill Ave.; and the Bowdoin-Geneva areas. The meetings are co-chaired, with one chair representing an official body (such as the Office of Health and Human Services) and other representing area residents.

The Mattapan/Codman Square/Four Corners meeting covers city services, with (as of Nov. 2011) a noted emphasis on foreclosure/absenteeism.

Likewise, the Dudley/Blue Hill Ave. meeting covers city services. Prostitution is seen to be particularly bad problem in the area and many interdepartmental actions have worked to address this issue (as of Nov. 2011).

The Bowdoin-Geneva meeting incorporates human services in addition to city services, with an emphasis on youth development and violence prevention -- specifically, the Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative. See a release on the formation of the Bowdoin-Geneva NRT here.

Key Partners:

City Agencies:

Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Transportation Department, Boston Center for Youth and Families, Code Enforcement, Department of Neighborhood Development, Inspectional Services, Jobs and Community Services, Office of Human Services, Office of Neighborhood Services, Mayor's Office, Public Works Department, others?

Community Organizations and Collaborations:

Bowdoin Geneva Violence Intervention and Prevention, Upham's Corner Violence Intervention and Prevention,
United Neighbors Association (UNA), 4-Street Crime Watch,

Bird Street Community Center, College Bound Dorchester, Family Nurturing Center, Roxbury Resource Center,

Faith-based: First Parish Church in Dorchester, St. Peter's Parish,

Main Streets:

Bowdoin-Geneva Main Street
Four Corners Main Street

Healthcare:

Bowdoin Street Health Center

Partial list!

Key Programs Offered:

Biweekly meetings; neighborhood walkthroughts; forum for cross-departmental, cross-sector collaboration and neighborhood improvement.

Created:

11/21/2011

Friends of the Blue Hills

Mailing Address (if different than physical location):

PO Box 416
Milton, MA 02186

Phone:

781-828-1805

Email:

info@FriendsoftheBlueHills.org

Website:

http://www.friendsofthebluehills.org/

Mission:

The Friends of the Blue Hills was formed in the mid-1970s by a group of people that recognized the vulnerability of the Reservation. For over 30 years, FBH has engaged the public in activities that protect the park by preventing encroachments, increasing park resources and improving park management. FBH’s mission has remained intact over the last 30 years: to protect and preserve the Blue Hills Reservation in its natural state. To accomplish this mission FBH acts to:

Advocate for actions that will enhance the Reservation and serve as watchdog of activities that might adversely affect it.
Guide enthusiasts in exploring the nearby remoteness of the Blue Hills Reservation through educational, historical, and nature hikes.
Encourage involvement in the protection and preservation of the Reservation by all users.
Work with the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to maintain the quality of the Reservation and provide public input for its management.

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

http://www.friendsofthebluehills.org/membership/

$25 - Individual
$45 - Family
$20 - Senior

Become part of a larger coalition of environmental organizations working on similar issues in and around the Blue Hills Reservation.
Play a part in working to protect and preserve the quality of life, sense of place, natural beauty, and ecological value that is contained within the Blue Hills Reservation.

Created:

07/14/2011

Boston Park Advocates (BPA)

Phone:

617-442-4141

Email:

mail@bostonparks.org

Website:

http://www.bostonparks.org/

Mission:

The mission of the network is to connect and unify Boston’s diverse park and community stakeholders. We aim to build our capacity, share resources and information, raise public awareness, and strengthen the collective impact of our network members to influence public park policy and increase support for the range of urban parks and open spaces.

Key Partners:

Dorchester Environmental Health Coalition

Franklin Park Coalition

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Application: http://bostonparks.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=79

Created:

06/29/2011

Partnerships Advancing Communities Together (PACT)

Phone:

(617) 748-3100 OR (617)343-4410

Website:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/ma/violentcrime/pact.html

Mission:

The mission of PACT is to increase community safety in neighborhoods by developing a comprehensive strategy that improves collaboration and effectiveness among public safety agencies, city agencies, state agencies, social service

In July 2010, the City of Boston announced its new initiative to combat gang violence by working with the families and neighbors of the area’s most dangerous offenders. Partnerships Advancing Communities Together, also known as Boston PACT, arose out of the increase in random, senseless youth violence where more and younger innocent bystanders were being shot and killed in Boston. PACT has identified 200 to 300 of the city’s some 3,500 gang affiliates, and has distributed the list of high-risk individuals to law enforcement and social service agencies so that the groups can work together to support the individuals, their family members and neighborhoods. The hope is that, through social and financial support, the community along with city, state and federal officials can provide incentive to draw people out of gangs or keep them from joining in the first place.

Key Partners:

Boston Police Department
Boston Public Schools
Boston Public Health Commission
Boston Center for Youth and Families
Suffolk County Sheriff's Department
Executive Office of Health and Human and Services (EOHHS)
Department of Youth Services
Mayor's Office
Governor's Office
Suffolk District Attorney's Office
United States Attorney's Office
Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS)
Probation

Key Programs Offered:

Youth Outreach

90% of youth identified by BPD as most likely to be a victim or perpetrator of a violent crime are connected to a trained youth worker
Targeted outreach focused on PACT youth who are attending an educational program, participating in job training or working.
Initial efforts to identify and support younger siblings of PACT youth

Community Safety Task Forces

Academy/Bromley/Egleston
Dudley Square
Grove Hall
South End
Washington Street Corridor

Other Resources:
– Housing
– Training capability
– Funds for programs and activities
– Specialists / technical assistanc

Created:

04/29/2011

Safe Neighborhood Initiative

Phone:

(617) 963-2910

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

Dorchester SNI
Bimonthly meetings expected to begin in June at location TBA (working on finding a regular meeting space). BPD District C-11 attends these meetings. For more information, contact ADA Christine Walsh at 617-619-4315.

Grove Hall SNI
Meets 2nd Thursday of June, September, November, February and April from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Grove Hall Community Center on Geneva Avenue. Food is served beforehand at 5:30 p.m. BPD District B-2 attends these meetings. For more information, contact Michael Kozu at m_kozu@hotmail.com or 617.541.5454.x102.

Upham's Corner SNI
Meets 4th Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the City School, located at 614 Columbia Rd.
BPD District B-2 attends these meetings. For more information, contact ADA Matt Feeney at 617-619-4169.

Washington Corridor SNI
Meets 4th Tuesday of each month from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. BPD C11 and B3 attend these meetings. Past meetings have been at DotWell, but the last few have been at the Franklin Hill Apartments community room at 5 Shandon Rd. Evening meetings are in the planning stages but are expected soon. For more information, contact Paul Malkemes at 617-929-0925 or paul@tbpm.org.

Mission:

The Safe Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) addresses public safety and prosecutors community development issues through the collaborative efforts of to work the Boston Police Department and the Massachusetts and Suffolk County Attorney General's Offices. Its success addresses three exclusively primary areas of community concern: Coordinated Law Enforcement, Neighborhood Revitalization, and Prevention and Treatment. Local law enforcement cooperation allows prosecutors to work exclusively generated on cases generated by the SNI i, and has helped community residents to remove and prosecute violent offenders from their neighborhoods.

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Contact individual SNI coordinators or the DA's office for more information.

Key Programs Offered:

The coordinated law enforcement strand includes community policing, the establishment of an SNI neighborhood prosecutor in District and Superior Courts, and enhanced cooperation in special projects between the community and law enforcement agencies.

The neighborhood revitalization efforts of the SNI may include expedited city services, rehabilitation of abandoned property, the coordination of local merchants, and/or job training programs.

The prevention, intervention, and treatment principle of the SNI mobilizes community and government resources around priority community health issues, from youth violence prevention to outreach to seniors.

Also (or Previously) Known As...:

SNI

Created:

04/28/2011

Weed and Seed

Website:

http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/Weed%20and%20Seed-MPGProgramDetail-612.aspx

Mission:

Weed and Seed, a community-based strategy sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is an innovative, comprehensive multiagency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization. Weed and Seed is foremost a strategy—rather than a grant program—that aims to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang violence.

The strategy involves a two-pronged approach: law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperate in "weeding out" violent criminals and drug abusers and public agencies and community-based private organizations collaborate to "seed" much-needed human services, including prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood restoration programs. A community-oriented policing component bridges the weeding and seeding elements.

Key Partners:

Dorchester's Weed and Seed Sites:

Grove Hall Safe Neighborhood Initiative (Project RIGHT, Mass Housing, Boston Police District B-2 & additional partners) to reduce crime, improve the quality of life, and to increase the efficiency of local criminal justice operations within the Grove Hall area. Meets 2nd Thursday of each month from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Grove Hall Community Center on Geneva Avenue. Contact Michael Kozu (617-541-5454, ext. 5 mkozu@projectright.org) for details. Grove Hall is a graduated Weed and Seed site.

Washington Corridor/Talbot Weed & Seed, Safe Neighborhood Initiative: Washington/Talbot Weed & Seed group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. The location changes monthly. Boston Police District B-3 attends these meetings. W&S information is mostly communicated via email. To be added to the email list, contact Paul Malkemes (617-929-0925; paul@tbpm.org).

Created:

04/12/2011

Peace Boston

Email:

peaceboston@gmail.com askdarcie@hotmail.com

Website:

Try http://www.myspace.com/peaceboston or http://bostonhha.tripod.com/id58.html; direct email is better.

Mission:

Peace Boston was created by members of the local Hip-Hop community, youth workers and youth on December 21, 2005 in Boston, MA. The debut event was the "Peace in the Streets" vigil held in Dorchester, MA at the rise of youth violence in Boston.

Peace Boston's Founding Members are: · The Academy of Public Service at the Dorchester Education Complex · The FloorLords Movement, Inc. · The Hip Hop Mecca Project · LisiVian, Inc. · Louis D. Brown Peace Institute · PLO Style Graphics · R.A.W. (Revealing Artistic Works) · Save the Youth Ministries · Showdown Youth Development Inc.'s Violence Free Zone Initiative · True Hiphop Culture Program · United Youth and Youth Workers of Boston Peace Boston's united mission is to mobilize the arts, youth, and youth development communities to increase the peace in the city of Boston. Peace Boston practices the seven principles of Peace as encouraged by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute: Love, Unity, Faith, Hope, Courage, Justice, Forgiveness and endeavors to promote peace through peer education, training, supporting activities, events, and initiatives that promote Peace.

Created:

12/13/2010

Bobby Mendes Peace Legacy

Mailing Address (if different than physical location):

The Bobby Mendes Peace Legacy
c/o Touchable Stories
65 East Cottage St. Dorchester, MA 02125

Email:

shannon@touchablestories.org

Website:

http://www.bmpl.org

Mission:

The Bobby Mendes Peace Legacy is an anti-violence initiative co-directed by Dorchester peace activist Isaura Mendes and Shannon Flattery of Touchable Stories. It is named in honor of Isaura's oldest son Bobby who was murdered in 1995. It is rededicated to her youngest son Matthew who was murdered in 2006.

The program began in 1999 to help stem the tide of growing homicides in the Dorchester/Roxbury neighborhoods. Programs include public speaking in schools and prisons, grief counseling for families and friends who have lost loved ones, roundtable dinners with community members and their elected officials, holiday celebrations for local children and The Annual Parent's & Children's Walk for Peace.

Location

65 East Cottage Street

Dorchester, MA

United States

See map: Google Maps

Key Partners:

Touchable Stories; The Riley Foundation Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund, The Lenny Zakim Fund, Floyd Williams Funeral Home, Maxwell Community Business Park, Suffolk County Sheriffs Department, Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo, Humphrey Street Studios, M.Y.H.O.O.D, PeaceWorks, Project Hope, Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, Maxwell Flea Market, Radio Nha Terra, Sovereign Bank, Toys for Tots, Wainwright Bank

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Contributions may be made directly to support this work by making checks payable to:
“The Bobby Mendes Peace Legacy”
c/o Touchable Stories
65 East Cottage St. Dorchester, MA 02125

Secure contributions can also be made online at http://communityroom.net

Key Programs Offered:

See here for details.

Created:

12/07/2010

Lower Mills Civic Association

Email:

info@dorchesterlowermills.org

Website:

dorchesterlowermills.org

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

Meets every third Tuesday at 7:30pm at St. Greg's Auditorium

Mission:

-Foster a sense of civic and community spirit
-Strive to achieve and maintain a positive environment in which to live and work
-Provide an effective voice for united community action
-Preserve and enrich our historical architecture and landscapes.

Location

15 Becket Street

Dorchester, MA 02124

United States

See map: Google Maps

Created:

10/25/2010

Harbor Point Community Task Force

Phone:

617-288-5701

Website:

http://sites.google.com/site/harborpointcommunity/

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

Monday to Friday 8am-4pm

Location

1 N Point Drive

Dorchester, MA 02125

United States

See map: Google Maps

Created:

10/25/2010

Create Content

Location

Location

Location