On Thursday, Jan. 6, District E13 of the Boston Police Department (BPD) hosted its first virtual police and community relations meeting of 2022. The monthly meeting, which is carried out virtually over Zoom, is an opportunity for members of the public to learn about local crime and ask questions of law enforcement.
At every meeting, Sgt. John Dougherty provides Part One crime data assembled by the Boston Regional Intelligence Center. Part One crimes are the most serious, and don’t include offenses like vandalism, drug dealing or possession of firearms.
Overall crime in Boston decreased by 15 percent in 2021. However, Jamaica Plain experienced a 32 percent reduction. According to the summary, there were 818 reported crimes in 2020, and only 618 reported last year. Crimes that saw a decrease in 2021 included homicide, robbery, assault, burglary and larceny. The only crimes that saw an uptick were rape and auto theft.
A second chart compared the statistics of fatal and nonfatal shootings from 2020 to 2021. Jamaica Plain saw 13 total shootings in 2021, down from 20 in 2020, a decrease of 35 percent. In 2021, Jamaica Plain was the fourth highest in shootings, accounting for almost seven percent of the total. Only Roxbury, Mattapan and Dorchester had higher rates.
The police and community relations meeting is held on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30pm. Members of the public who have safety concerns are encouraged to participate.