Boston City Council President Ed Flynn: 'We desperately need more police in our city'
BOSTON -- The region's biggest city and leading economic engine is facing a lot of important issues these days of affordable housing (or the lack of it), the quality of public education, and crime.
Next week, WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller will be sitting down Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to get her take on things, but this week, Jon got the perspective of President of the Boston City Council Ed Flynn.
He's in his third term as the District Counselor representing down South Boston, south in Chinatown, Bay Village, Ford Point, and parts of Back Bay and Beacon HIll.
(WATCH: Flynn speak on rent control and Wu's proposal for rent stabilization)
Jon Keller: "Is this city too balkanized for things to get done?"
Ed Flynn: "I don't think so. We have wonderful city workers. They do a tremendous job. They don't get the appreciation, or the pay, or the recognition that they should, but they do tremendous work. And a lot of our services in our city, it's by these dedicated city workers that are out there every day, supporting the residents. So we're really proud of them."
Keller: "But you know, you do hear and we, the city, sort of has a reputation as a place where there are a lot of very active and vocal neighborhood groups. There's all sorts of different interests at play, and that it makes it hard to get anything done. A new affordable housing developments, most notably. Is that true?"
Flynn: "No, I don't think so. It's about working. If you have a proposal, and you work well with the residents, the neighborhood organizations, the impacted community, I think you'll get a fair shake at City Hall. It's about listening to people, working with people. Not everybody has the right answer. It's about compromise. That's what government is about. Compromising, giving, and giving back. But hopefully at the end of the day, there's a proposal that people can support. And it's based on each side respecting each other as well."
Keller: "Right now, there's a controversial proposal from Mayor Wu for...she calls it "rent stabilization." Others call it "rent control." Her proposal would limit rent increase or would link them to inflation with a 10 percent cap. There be some exemptions for new construction and triple deckers, for instance, that are owner-occupied. You've come forward with your own proposal. What is there in the mayor's proposal that you think you can support, if anything?"
Flynn: "Well, I think the mayor provided a good proposal. I think she listened to residents. I think she listened to the business community as well. And it's a proposal based on making sure that residents of Boston have the opportunity to continue to live in the city, as prices of housing escalate in Boston is a city of neighborhoods, and it's about residents that may not have a lot of money, but there should always be an opportunity for them there.
I support the proposal the Mayor provided. I also wanted to highlight an issue that I have heard many, many times. And it's landlords that are providing an apartment to a family or an elderly person, and they're charging less than what they could get. Below market. And so what I was proposing, if you do that, and we are able to verify it, maybe there's an opportunity for you to get some tax relief, assessment on your taxes on your property taxes. I don't have exactly what the formula is. I'm talking to residents. I'm talking to the business community. But I would like to have a serious discussion about it. Maybe it can help."
Keller: "The [Boston] Globe reported the other day that there was a meeting of local clergy last week over at the Charles St. AME Church to discuss crime and violence. And the paper quoted the pastor of that church. Reverend Gregory Groover is saying, 'We are in a crisis. Now, I know that elected officials and others would prefer not to use that language for whatever reasons, but it is a crisis.' Do you agree with him?"
Flynn: "Well, what I what I know is we desperately need more police in our city. And I'm advocating for hiring at least two-to-three hundred police officers every year consistently for the next 10 years. But I also know that during the pandemic, mental health challenges increased significantly. And we need to provide residents with the critical services support that they need. It's about working together, including the clergy, bringing each other, bringing the city together. But we do have major challenges with public safety. But we have an excellent police commissioner as well, an excellent police department - the men and women of the Boston Police - working with the residents. Community policing does work. It is working. And it's about us continuing to work together."
Keller: "Can we hire 200 new police officers a year? I mean, can we get the people who will want those jobs?"
Flynn: "I think we can. I think we have to do a very good job of recruiting. It's not an attractive job as a police officer, like it was before. And I think we have to treat our police officers and their families with more respect as well. They are part of our community. They're our neighbors. They're our literal coaches. But we need to have a better attitude of making sure that they are treated with respect."
Keller: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but police are already exempt from the residency requirement. Right?"
Flynn: "Well, there's a period of time when you first get on the job, that you have to stay in the city for a certain number of years."
Keller: "So there's been a lot of talk about doing away with that the residency requirement for a city of Boston employees all together? Where do you come down on that?"
Flynn: "I support some of it. I think especially for low-income, low-salary workers. Maybe you're making $40,000 a year, and you're forced to live in the city, extremely difficult for you and your family. So I think there should be exemptions based on salary. But, we need to provide the best education as well as we can to our young people in the Boston Public School system. And I think that's also part of the strategy."
Keller: "I did want to bring up something that just kind of popped up last week. Mayor Wu fulfilled the campaign promise by hiring a new administrator to oversee the enhancement of the city's nightlife as an economic development initiative. They want better late night T service and many more liquor licenses as part of the mix. Do you think those are workable ideas?"
Flynn: "Well, I think we definitely need a MBTA system that works and is opened later...we are going to keep the restaurants and bars open...but we need make sure that residents are also on board with keeping liquor establishments open later at night. So these would be spread out across the city, so there has to be a community engagement. But I'm confident that if that's the plan the city is looking to do, I'm confident that they will engage the residents across the city seeking their input as well."
Keller: "What's your bedtime counselor? I'll go first. Mine's about 10 o'clock at night, at the latest."
Flynn: "I go to bed probably 11 o'clock. My wife and I like to watch television. We watch these home improvement programs."
Keller: "Oh yeah?"
Flynn: "Yeah, I like to take my mind off of politics and learn about how to fix up a house. Although I'm not handy myself."