The Egleston Square Neighborhood Association held its July meeting on Monday.
With no major development reviews on the agenda, the conversation focused on public safety in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood, as well as quality of life issues.
While there were several shootings in other areas of the city over the Fourth of July weekend, police officer Omar Cepeda said there were no major issues in the neighborhood.
“There was extra help, we had extra patrol cars that day, we had about five extra two-man cars, so we were on top of things,” said Cepeda. “We really started getting busy after 8 o’clock at night, and it was more the fireworks and all those calls that come with the Fourth of July. We would go take the fireworks and not even five minutes later with the same group, there was another 911 call.”
However, Cepeda said there were no major incidents during the weekend.
“There were no shootings, no shots fired, nothing like that in our sector, so JP was good, at least for the weekend,” he said.
Over the past month, Cepeda said there were fewer larceny calls than the previous month at the local Walgreens, with four larceny calls and one arrest.
Cepeda said the district is aware of a slight uptick in package thefts in the neighborhood, with several taking place at Chilcott Place.
In one of the instances, the package thief was dressed as an Amazon driver. Cepeda said detectives are continuing to investigate the incidents.
In addition, there were two reported thefts of e-bikes in the neighborhood over the past month, Cepeda said.
In other police business, the city is shutting down several roads in Jamaica Plain and other neighborhoods on weekend nights during the summer to address noise complaints from lowrider vehicles. Circuit Drive, Franklin Park Drive, Old Road, and Talbot Avenue will be closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Thursdays through Sundays until some time in September.
“There were 90, 100 cars sometimes last year, with the loud music, so that is what they are trying to avoid,” said Cepeda.
Cepeda also introduced Captain Tim Gaughan, who takes over as the new E-13 sector commander from Captain William Hoppie.
In other business, ESNA members discussed trash collection in the neighborhood and raised the possibility of organizing community trash pick-up events. The areas most in need of trash collection were identified as the corner of Columbus and Washington and around the Egleston Square Branch Library.
Chris Vaughan of ESNA noted that if any residents noticed any major issues with dangerous materials such as broken glass or used needles, they should contact the city through the 311 system.
There was also a discussion about public restroom access and the efforts to renovate Lawson Park.
Zavia Dickerson, the Jamaica Plain liaison for Mayor Wu’s office, said she would check on the status of the park renovation efforts and get back to ESNA members.