The tragic execution of four innocents in Mattapan earlier this week, including a 2 year-old, magnifies the need for an added public safety push here.
Boston is a stone’s throw away
Our own recent double execution on Chester Avenue caused the city to recently increase local policing to meet the demands of a difficult time – and now this.
You will say to yourselves that Chelsea is not Mattapan – and you will be right.
However, the potential for these types of executions is alive in every neighborhood of Boston, bar none and it is possible here – as was shown earlier this month.
The potential is there because of the presence of illegal firearms.
The potential is often realized because of the use by angry people of these illegal firearms.
What to do?
No one knows exactly how to stop the recent, insane, proliferation of violence in Boston’s neighborhoods or here in Chelsea.
Residents here are baffled and bothered by the violence, which regrettably is taking place despite a great effort being made by so many willing to help.
What to do?
We aren’t sure except to say that something must be done that is extraordinary in order to reverse the trend, which is building this year instead of receding.
Crime is not what this city is all about.
However the recent event in Mattapan added to so many others has raised the red flag for officials and for residents in Boston and here.
These types of killings cannot be allowed to go on.
How to make them stop will take an extraordinary effort that will require a unified community to show its strength in the face of rising violence.
Even though Chelsea isn’t Mattapan, residents should be concerned.
What happened in Mattapan could happen here.
That’s the problem.