Crime statistics in Boston last year saw a historic low in shootings, with only 37 people killed – compared with 200 or more in similar-size cities such as Detroit, Memphis, and Washington, D.C. Remarkably, this year is even better. Homicides are down 82%, according to the Boston Police Department, the biggest drop of any major city. Shooting incidents are also down 44%, while only three people have been murdered in Boston this year. Boston has been a pioneer of community policing, showing signs of success, reports the Christian Science Monitor. Boston is at once a prime example of what is going right in policing and of how much remains to be done. The city has pioneered since the 1990s in policing strategies that embrace communities as partners and collaborators. Those are now paying off, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox says.
The drop in crime likely has many factors, including a higher-than-average homicide solve rate and an increase in anonymous tips. These improvements point to the importance of the community ties built up in recent decades. “We’ve been practicing community policing for a long time,” Cox told the Boston Globe. “I think we’re receiving the benefit of actually establishing a true partnership with the public like we had before, and this is the fruits of that relationship.” Former Boston Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, once described community policing as getting out of the patrol car and walking the community streets, getting to know people’s names. Most importantly, it’s about forging partnerships with residents. “It really comes down to dialogue. That’s the key,” says Jack McDevitt, a criminologist at Northeastern University. He emphasizes the importance of allowing the community to express their views on policing procedures and offering feedback encourages strategies that foster a collaborative environment.