By Dan Murphy
Colin Zick, president of the Beacon Hill Civic Association board, was among those interviewed for a WHDH 7 Investigates segment, which aired on Sept. 30 in response to heightened safety concerns on the Boston Common.
Colin Zick, president of the Beacon Hill Civic Association board.
Some Freedom Trail tour guides had been circumventing the Common due to an uptick in “drug use, heated arguments, and violent outbursts” in the park, according to the news segment. In all, 136 violent crimes had reported around the Common this year at the time of the airing, according to WHDH 7, prompting Boston Police to increase patrols of the park.
“The city doesn’t want what’s going on right now to be here, but it’s a complicated issue without easy answers, but I think we need to pay more attention,” Zick, told WHDH 7.
The Civic Association has been working with city leaders to address these concerns, he said at that time, with the group calling for an increased police presence, as well as “better efforts to connect those in need with services.”
Zick added: “We know there’s illegal activity there, that’s the thing, so what are we going to do about that? We can’t arrest our way out of the problem, but we can’t condone the illegal activity either.”
For Zick, the airing of the news segment came amidst increasing concerns about safety conditions in the park.
“To me, the piece was part of crescendo of concerns from neighbors and stakeholders about conditions on the Common,” Zick told this reporter on Oct. 11. “The piece led to more conversations about individuals and organizations taking the brunt [of the impacts]. We’ve shared our concerns with the BPD, Councilor [Sharon] Durkan, and the Mayor’s Office, and we’re pleased that the BPD responded appropriately. This resulted in an increase in BPD engagement on the Common that was noticeable almost immediately.”
Despite this encouraging news, Zick underscored that safety concerns on the Common remain a reality.
“There are still concerns that conditions could revert back because the underlying issues still need to be addressed,” Zick told this reporter.