‘I take it personally’: BPD Commissioner responds to safety concerns in city

Boston – Boston leaders are assuring the public that they’re hearing all of the community concerns on the heels of a particularly violent weekend.

Six people were shot at three separate scenes in Boston in less than an hour time frame on Sunday night.

Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said six shootings in one night is a “big deal” but that overall public safety crime statistics are down.

Total shootings so far this year are down slightly from 2021.

Commissioner Cox said he still understands that people are not feeling safe.

One of the changes he laid out during a Monday news conference included deploying specialized units in a more visible way.

“Right now, we need to have a presence in certain areas to make people feel safe,” said Cox.

Cox responded to questions over the department’s strategy in responding to the recent violence.

“Anyone who doesn’t think we have a strategy really doesn’t understand what we do,” explained Cox. “”I take it personally. I think we all take it personally.”

One of the six victims from Sunday night’s explosion of violence died from his injuries.

48-year-old Edwin Pizarro was killed after multiple shots were fired on Orlando Street in Mattapan.

“He was a very well loved man. I don’t know why this happened. I seriously don’t know,” said Pizarro’s brother-in-law.

Commissioner Cox is not speculating on what has been driving some of the recent violence.

Police have made one arrest in connection with one of Sunday night’s non-fatal shootings on Westview Street in Dorchester.

24-year-old Aquan Hudson of Brockton is being held without bail.

“When I hear, what are the police doing? We’re working as hard as we can,” said Cox.

Mayor Michelle Wu said the city has been in constant collaboration with different agencies and people out in the community to get the root of the issues impacting lives.

“This is a collective effort that cannot just be on the shoulder of the Boston Police,” said Wu.

Boston 25 News asked Wu about calls from some clergy members and activists over the weekend for families to follow a self-imposed curfew.

“There’s a fine line between focusing on what is happening and the seriousness of public safety incidents and crossing a line into fear mongering,” said Wu.

Both Wu and Cox expressed optimism about the 103 new officers who just graduated from the police academy.

Those officers will soon be a part of the visible increased police presence in certain neighborhoods.

“This is a class of 103 officers that truly knows every part of Boston,” said Wu. “We’re doing everything we can to increase the number of new officers being brought in.”

The Boston Police Department remains down hundreds of officers, partly as a result of retirements and more than 100 officers who have been out on a medical leave for over a year.

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