Public safety & crime prevention
Making neighborhoods feel and be safer through lighting, cameras, police presence and violence prevention.
Residents mainly ask for better street and park lighting, plus cameras, police patrols and community-based safety, so people feel safe at night and in public spaces.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
126 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 49 | 4.0% | 13 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 31 | 2.6% | 17 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 46 | 3.5% | 13 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Brighter street, park and transit lighting
Residents across all three cycles ask for more or better lighting on streets, in parks and near transit stops, so people feel safe after dark.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
More security cameras
Residents ask for cameras to deter and solve crime, in neighborhoods, parks and commercial areas, though one 2026-27 resident opposes expanding surveillance.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
More police patrols and security presence
Residents ask for more patrols or security staff in specific places such as transit stops, parks, Chinatown and commercial areas, often at night.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Emergency call points and community safety groups
Residents propose blue light phones, emergency call buttons, and resident-led patrols or safety groups, as a way to get help quickly and build neighborhood involvement.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Self-defense and safety education
Residents ask for funded self-defense, gun safety or other safety classes, including for youth and adults.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Lighting dominated, especially repeated East Boston requests, alongside calls for cameras, gun violence prevention, police patrols and safer MBTA stations and parks.
2025–26
Lighting stayed central, with East Boston and school security prominent, plus requests for cameras, patrols, blue light phones and self-defense classes.
2026–27
Residents focused on lighting, cameras and emergency call posts in parks, night patrols and community safety patrols, with new interest in housing security and restorative justice.
New in 2026–27
New or growing asks include security and repairs at BHA housing, emergency call buttons on park paths, restorative justice and youth alternatives to policing, bleeding-control and overdose stations, and opposition to surveillance cameras.
Funding so far
The one winning project, grants for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth, connects to youth and restorative justice asks, but no winning project has yet addressed the recurring asks for lighting, cameras, patrols or emergency call points.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
Programs Supporting Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Youth
2024–25 · $250,000 · related theme
This proposal will offer grants to nonprofit organizations to support youth ages 14-21 who are formerly or currently incarcerated, helping them build a brighter future.
Departments that often lead this work
- Boston Police Department
- Public Works
- BCYF
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Public safety & crime prevention
126 ideas
2024–25: 49 · 2025–26: 31 · 2026–27: 46
- Police patrols in Common and GardenResident asks for police patrols of the Common and Public Garden, especially around Brewer Fountain, to address littering, vandalism, drug use, graffiti and public intoxication.2024–25Beacon Hill
- Prevent and control drug sales in parksResident asks for prevention and control of drug sales in parks, noting the focus should include people of other nationalities, not only residents and citizens.2024–25City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Fund law and order in Back BayResident asks for funding to support law and order, get drugs off the streets and reduce homelessness in Back Bay and Boston proper, because the city feels less safe.2024–25Back Bay
- Street Angels safety and coaching task forceResident proposes a trained street safety task force to assist law enforcement and provide life, trauma, substance abuse and financial coaching and self-defense to build neighborhood safety and unity.2024–25City-wide
- Interventions to reduce gun ownershipResident asks for publicly funded interventions, involving social workers, to stop people from owning guns, linking gun ownership to violence.2024–25City-wide
- Better lighting on my streetResident asks for improved lighting on their street.2024–25City-wide
- Prevention campaign and security in parksResident asks for a promotion and prevention campaign and security presence in parks.2024–25City-wide
- More street lightsResident asks for more lighting on streets.2024–25City-wide
- Better lighting on Border StreetResident asks for improved street lighting, especially on Border Street.2024–25City-wide
- Prevention campaign and security in parksResident asks for a promotion and prevention campaign and security presence in parks.2024–25City-wide
- More lighting and more programs in the neighborhoodResident asks for better lighting and more programs to make the area more pleasant and attract more people.2024–25City-wide
- Empathetic police and state agencies focused on safetyResident asks that police and state agencies care about community safety and be empathetic toward residents' social problems.2024–25City-wide
- Humane, sensitive training for policeTrain police officers to serve the community in a more human and sensitive way.2024–25City-wide
- Safety in parks and streetsImprove security in parks and on streets; no further detail given.2024–25City-wide
- Sodium vapor streetlights over wide streetsInstall sodium vapor lights hung over the middle of wide streets near late-night businesses, because energy-saving lights make pedestrians hard to see, especially older people in dark clothing.2024–25West Roxbury
- Community safety through street lighting in East BostonSet up community safety through better street lighting, since East Boston is about 60% immigrant and largely affected by insecurity.2024–25East Boston
- Public lighting for community safety in East BostonImprove community safety through more public lighting, especially in central East Boston where many immigrants live.2024–25East Boston
- Street lighting in central East BostonInstall street lighting in East Boston, specifically in the center of the neighborhood.2024–25East Boston
- Street lighting in East BostonImprove street lighting in East Boston, which would benefit low-income residents.2024–25East Boston
- More street lighting in central East BostonAdd more street lighting, especially in the center of East Boston, for everyone's safety.2024–25East Boston