As a result of the two murders Monday on Chester Avenue, Chelsea now has six homicides for the year, which is causing consternation with everyone concerned with the well-being and the safety of the city’s residents.
City Manager Jay Ash met with city leaders Wednesday morning to discuss safety.
Included at the table were ROCA executive director Molly Baldwin, Chelsea Collaborative officials Marta Rosa and Councillor Roseann Bongiovanni and Police Chief Brian Kyes.
“The city will be committing to placing additional police in the neighborhoods immediately as a result of these murders. We seek to increase the presence of police, to increase vigilance and to facilitate arrests,” Ash said following the meeting.
Ash said the city will spend whatever it takes to maintain public safety and to assure residents that the police are there and that action is being taken.
According to Chief Kyes, Chelsea Police have made 1800 arrest so far this year.
“That’s twice the number of arrests in Revere and Everett,” he said. “We are on the streets. We are out in force. But even with that, more needs to be done,” he added.
Baldwin said she was disheartened by recent events, and especially by the double homicide.
“All we can do is to carry on – working together. Coming back at it. Never letting up. We have to believe we can do this because we can,” she said.
Baldwin expressed what Kyes has repeated again and again, keeping the peace is not that simple when young people with guns are ready and willing to shoot people.
“Drugs and guns cause much of the violence,” said Baldwin.
Ash said he continued to be optimistic although like the others, he is frustrated by the violence and obviously, by the homicides.
ROCA plays a primary role in uplifting young peoples’ lives. The Collaborative is largely a community organizer and helps to give the minority community a strong voice and support.
On Thursday evening, September 16 at the Chelsea High School auditorium, community leaders led by Jay Ash will be hosting a public forum to address the problem of violence.
“People need to step up. We must do better. We will do better,”said Ash
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