The Nights that Define our Communities
This week is one of my favorite summer traditions: National Night Out. Every year, in every neighborhood of Boston, we partner with local police districts to put on a big, free block party full of food, dancing, and games. It’s a chance for the entire neighborhood to slow down, have fun, and talk about the things that matter.
On National Night Out, you’ll bump into old friends and your kids’ coaches. You might meet a new neighbor, or play horseshoes with Police Commissioner Evans. And you can always count on BPD officers to be up for a water balloon toss.
National Night Out is for everyone. It’s a night when communities recognize local heroes and celebrate all they have to be proud of. Families get to know their local law enforcement and tell them what they want to see in their neighborhood. It’s a night when we again stand united, reaffirming our shared commitment to peace. And it’s just one reflection of the spirit that’s driving the work we’re doing all year round.
Even though Citywide, Boston is the safest it’s been in a decade, violence is still a reality for too many residents. And it hits young people and communities of color especially hard. Of all the things that are challenging about my job, that is what keeps me up at night. If a single one of our neighbors feels unsafe, that is unacceptable. Our work will not be finished until the number of families mourning a young person lost to violence is zero.
We’re doing everything in our power to keep our neighborhoods safe. We’re reducing the flow of guns into our City and taking them off the street; we’ve expanded our homicide unit; and we’ve created neighborhood trauma teams to end the cycle of suffering and violence in our hardest-hit communities.
We know that ultimately, keeping our communities safe isn’t just about law enforcement. It’s about opportunity. It’s about hope. At National Night Out, and as I speak with neighbors every day of the year, this is what many have told me: they’re worried about the youth in their community going down the wrong path. They’re worried that some young people see it as their only option.
That’s why we’re working so hard to make sure that everyone in our City has a real chance to thrive — especially our youth. We’re not going to arrest our way to peace; we’re going to invest in our communities to increase pathways to opportunity.
We’re ensuring access to high-quality, free education for all — from pre-kindergarten all the way up to tuition-free community college. And we’re making it possible for more families to save and build wealth with tools like our Child Savings Accounts and our Neighborhood Homes homeownership program. This is how we’re building pathways to success. This is how we’re chipping away at the cycles of poverty and violence.
As we lift our communities up, one of the most important partners is the Boston Police — not only as the people we call when things go wrong, but as community partners helping things go right. That spirit is strong on National Night Out. And it’s a great example of the evolving relationship between our communities and the officers who serve them. On National Night Out, it’s clear that residents and police share the same goals of safety and peace. They both love their communities and want to see them thrive. These officers attend National Night Out not only as members of the Boston Police Department, but as neighbors, too.
The unity we see on National Night Out is what we want to see all the time. Not just at big events like these, but in every school, on every corner, at every playground, everywhere. Relationships like those don’t just appear overnight. Boston Police are working to earn the community’s trust and partnership every day of the year: They’re getting to know the communities they serve through Peace Walks with clergy and Youth-Police Dialogues. They’re making sure they’re equipped to meet their community’s’ needs by placing social workers in police stations and embedding mental health specialists on teams responding to tough calls. They’re even bringing sweet relief to our neighborhoods on hot summer days with the BPD ice cream truck. Our police are already there for us on our worst days. They’re helping us have more of our best days, too.
National Night Out is a gleaming example of the fierce pride that defines every neighborhood of Boston — from Eastie to Hyde Park, Allston to Mattapan. And its timing is no accident. Keeping our youth and our communities safe is especially important during the summer months. This is the time of year when nationwide, cities experience an uptick in crime.
In the summer, we go even further to keep kids active and engaged, and make sure communities have the resources they need — from Summer Learning to Summer Jobs to free daily programming and extended nighttime hours at all our community centers. Our goal is not simply to keep kids safe in the summertime. We’re giving them the opportunities they need to thrive year-round.
This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Joining National Night Out celebrations in every neighborhood, I feel how full of hope our city is. None of us want to be defined by our worst experiences, and Boston’s neighborhoods have never been defined by theirs. We are defined by the strength, the love, and the fellowship that brings our communities together, time and time again.
At this week’s celebrations, my job is to listen. I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas. You know what your communities need. You are committed to working together to build a better, safer Boston for our young people. Together, we’re making it happen. And we’re just getting started.
For the 2017 National Night Out schedule, click here.
