Poll: How Safe Do You Feel in the North End?

27 Replies to “Poll: How Safe Do You Feel in the North End?”

1. Mainly concerned about fire, honestly.

2. I get annoyed from time to time about drunk college kids/young professionals/youths, but I feel very safe here – even late at night. I am, however, assertive and I don’t make stupid decisions in the middle of the night. Some confidence in the neighborhood’s safety comes from that.

   1. Involvement is the secret to success. We have to make known the inconsiderate acts of the few. Remember when the old ladies hung out the windows and said, “I’ll tell your mother” or “hey, Wanda you doin!?” That’s how we retain our safety, not by hiding and calling the cops.

      1. If you yell out the window at the rowdy students and young professionals there is a good chance they will tell you to mind your own effing business and laugh at you. I was out on my balcony at 5PM one weekend and I happened to see a very drunk “non-North End” teenager getting ready to pee against the building right across from me. When I yelled “don’t even think about it” he turned around and said to me “shut up you are old” I said ” You are right I am old but what is your effing point? zip your fly and get out of here” This is not the old North End so calling the cops is the only option.

3. The high rents/property values keeps a good portion of the criminal element out of the neighborhood. Also, most streets are well lit and frequently traveled, which gives criminals less of a chance to corner someone in a dark alley.

4. I have heard of things lately more. Car break ins mostly – but potential break ins too. There’s a definite need for more police at nights. I wish they would drive up and down the side streets at night. If you feel in danger – scream. Someone will be there to help you.

5. If you compare the North End to the rest of the city, we’re pretty safe overall. There’s issues here and there with disorderly drunks, break ins, and a lingering drug problem over on Salem, and of course the sexual assaults, but I’m thankful we don’t have to deal with what most of the rest of the city neighborhoods have to deal with on a continual basis.

   That being said, I’d like it to stay that way. So a stepped up police presence would be welcome.

   1. What lingering drug problem are you talking about?

      1. Lower half of Salem from Bacco down. If you live/work there, you know what I’m referring to. Many times I have walked down that area to find a few women off their rocker, hanging out windows, stumbling around…also in the park just off Salem.

   2. If we are pretty safe then why divert the police assets from areas where they are needed. Last I checked A-1 also monitors the Chinatown area which is riddled with gun violence. That is where the police presence should be stepped up, not the north end

      1. I’m not sure I get this…you’re more concerned about the well being of another part of the city than where you supposedly live? Odd.

         1. Let’s expand this…if you had a business there, you would definitely want a police presence. If you had a family there, I would hope you want a police presense. Heck, even if you had a girlfriend there, I would hope you would want a police presence. But you don’t….hmmmmm.

            1. What is odd is you overreacting to a few minor crimes and quality of life concerns. I am sorry but no matter where you are in this world there will be crime, that is a fact of life. I don’t overreact and demand a police be present at all hours of the night to combat these minor issues. Instead I would much rather them be stationed where there is more serious crimes happening. But hey if you would rather the police be stationed to combat a few rowdy drunks at night rather than shootings and stabbings I guess your mind works in a different way

               1. What world do you live in? Since when are armed robberies and car jackings “minor crimes” I don’t care if it only happened once…that’s once too many.

               2. The problem in the Northend is that the Area A police ARE concentrated in the North Station, Quincy Market and Theater Districts. An attempted armed robbery/carjacking of a 67 YO woman IS NOT A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE! Smashing store windows IS NOT A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. Out in the open drug dealing and abuse IS NOT A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. Homeless people panhandling on the street is a quality of life issue. Loud parties are a quality of life issue. Trash, rats and dog crap on the streets and in the parks is a quality of life issue. What is wrong with you?

               3. What is wrong with you? These are minor crimes when you look at all of the crimes that happen in Area A. As SMH so eloquently put the A-1 police are in charge of the theater district, although they failed to mention the Area A includes Chinatown. I’m sorry but that is where the police are needed, where there is major violent crime occurring all of the time. And let’s be serious most people that took the survey as over 80% of the people taking the survey said they at least felt relatively safe. So what is world do you live in?

               4. Unlike you Salem street guy ,I live in the real world. It will not hurt the other parts of the Area A district to put one more cop in the North End from 8PM through 4PM. Your contention that they are needed in other areas more is BS. RU a cop? You certainly sing the same old tune that I have heard from every police captain and sgt who have been involved with the North End for the last 20+ years. Just because a self selected group of people participating in the on this blog survey say they feel safe does not mean the need for more police presence is not needed. The problems that are making people demand more police are more significant than rowdy drunks. you seem hell bent to ignore them or are you afraid they might catch you doing something you should not be?

6. I agree with quite a few things that were said, the North End is probably the safest place in the City, but it always
   was. We had some incidents many years ago, different from those going on in the Neighborhood now.

   We did have a Neo-Nazi living on Salem St. who wanted to blow up the Zakim Bridge, and thank God they
   caught him, shame on the Real Estate Office that rented to him.

   We now deal with roof decks and bottles being thrown off roofs at our Police, and whoever, and we deal with
   drunks that disturb our quality of life, which is extremely annoying, and of course, let us not forget the vandalism,
   the urinating in Public & Sexual Activity that has taken place in Apt. Buildings.

   There is only one Establishment in the North End that had enough consideration for No.End Residents, and they
   placed a sign outside of the Restaurant, basically saying to have consideration for residents. The City should
   make every establishment in this Neighborhood have those signs. It may not stop it completely, but it is a
   start in the right direction. Residents & Restaurant owners should be working as a team, United we Stand &
   Divided we will Fall. Any Restaurant or Business Owner is allowed to attend any Neighborhood Meeting, but
   I have not heard of any Residents attending the Chamber of Commerce Meetings. Why?

7. A lot of drug activity. No one can deny that. Too much going on and parents need to be aware. I love this part of the city but hate when I see drug deals goin on all around. Mainly on Salem and Hanover. Where are the cops?!! Residents need to speak up.

8. Well in the old days, the boys took care of any crime or incidents in the North End. There all gone now, except for a few old timers and the younger ones are just plain wanna bees who just hang in the club and drink and do drugs themselves. Not caring what goes on outside on the sidewalk. Except for the old school people, there is no respect anymore. I remember years ago, the start of the college kids coming in to live, there was a feast right in front of the church, it was for a special occasion that they had a 3 day feast. And a group of college kids were throwing those roof pebbles from the roof onto the people. Several members went up there and the story goes, asked them all if they could fly? They got off the roof. Now, no one would go up there, because all the members are in the club drinking. WE, THEY all need to start to protect the N. E. more. All are welcome, but all must behave. I remember when the Police would tell someone, your lucky they called us and not someone else.

   In memory of Jerry

9. Jane, no truer words were ever said. I hate to think of violence solving our problems, but sometimes you
   have to do what you have to do. We might not have Jerry anymore, but what these college kids do NOT
   realize, is that we have a few “JOHN RAMBOS” in the No. End that could possibly wipe out all the
   problems in the area. The John Rambos don’t want to get caught because the first thing these college
   kids do is call the cops, and want to sue you. I don’t think any of our John Rambos want to go to jail or
   get sued. John Rambo was played by Stallone in the movie “RAMBO”, and he didn’t bother anyone, but
   he got picked on for “no good reason” and turned into a ONE MAN ARMY and WON, and he wasn’t
   wearing a Ski Mask either. I have very high hopes that the Absentee Landlords & Absentee Slumlords
   will renovate their Properties now that the City has stepped into the picture & we might have better
   people occupying these apartments & condos. Miracles happen everyday Jane.

   1. Rambo??? I mean seriously???? Are you out of your mind???? Yes lets get some guys to wear a red bandana and wipe out all of the young professionals in the North End. Honestly must be one of the most mind boggling things I have ever read!!!

   2. All these veiled references to how much better life was under mob rule are kind of terrifying.

      1. At least no drugs were around- no one dared! Say what you will, but the old way was rather safe for the entire neighborhood!

      2. I agree 100%. I would also add “mind-boggling” to “terrifying”. It’s probably the thing I like the least about living in the North End.

10. Confused, I am not out of my mind, it’s that you & Salem St. Guy are in Big Denial. No Red Bandanas are
    necessary, and I didn’t say wipe out young professionals, only the problem people. You will be hearing
    a lot more boggling things than this, so go for a manicure and get your fingers ready, and when you have
    a chance watch the RAMBO MOVIE again. He didn’t bother anyone that didn’t have it coming.

11. I love the people that give the suspicious drug comments on Salem a ‘thumbs down’. What? Don’t want any extra attention on your own activities over there?

    Anyone other than Salem Street Guy (who at least had the stones to speak up, even if it was illogical) that gave a thumbs down about the drug activity should speak up and tell me where I’m wrong. Otherwise, you’re just a part of it, in my opinion, a coward and you’re part of the reason why we need more police presence.

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