Mayor Walsh, Boston Police Walk Streets Ahead Of National Night Out
BOSTON (CBS) - The goal of National Night Out is a lofty one: get the people in neighborhoods and the police who protect them all on the same page in order to reduce crime.
And this summer in Boston... there is tremendous need.
Mayor Marty Walsh and a team of law enforcement traveled throughout the city Monday evening. They made six stops, the last of which was in Roxbury, where just hours earlier there was a broad daylight triple shooting that sent all three victims to the hospital.
The National Night Out event at Laviscount Park in Roxbury featured music, dancing and free food. The mood was festive, but when the mayor arrived, he had an intense message.
"We need to get to these young people and let them know that this is serious," Walsh told WBZ before he addressed the crowd. "We will work with you to put you on a different path, a different career path. But if you're going to continue to run around the streets with guns, we're going to come after you."
Great to be in #Roxbury for #NationalNightOut - thank you for celebrating community and working together.
— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) August 4, 2015
Monday's triple shooting is only the latest in a year full of sometimes deadly violence throughout Boston. As Walsh pointed out, the victims - and sometimes the suspects as well - are barely old enough to drive.
So if there's a way to get them early, the city hopes events like National Night Out might be it.
"This works because it helps to build relationships," said one neighbor who was attending.
While Boston Police Commissioner William Evans says he certainly agrees, he's also hoping those relationships grow results.
"If you're not outraged at what happened today in broad daylight, something's wrong with you," Commissioner Evans said.