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
- Community policing, safety programs and better lightingResident asks for investment in community policing, safety programs, better lighting and pedestrian-friendly streets, prioritizing neighborhoods with higher crime and safety concerns.2024–25City-wide
- More police patrols and cleanup near Emancipation parkResident reports people sleeping in an unkept park and rule-breaking motorbike delivery drivers near their building, and asks for a cleanup, help for those sleeping outside, and more police patrols.2024–25Downtown
- More lighting in parks and streetsAdd more lamps to parks and streets.2024–25City-wide
- Gun safety classes for adultsThe resident asks for gun safety information and classes for adults 18 and over to help reduce gun violence and accidents.2024–25Roxbury
- Keep Comm Ave Mall white lights on year-roundThe resident asks to keep the white lights on the Commonwealth Ave mall all year, ideally solar-powered, because they are beautiful and make walking in the dark safer.2024–25Back Bay
- Funding for self-defense classesThe resident asks for funding for self-defense classes to improve health, build confidence and help people stay safe.2024–25City-wide
- Blue light emergency phones beyond college areasThe resident asks for blue light emergency stations in areas that are not just near colleges, to improve safety and fairness.2024–25City-wide
- Exterior lighting around train stationsThe resident asks for better lighting outside train stations.2024–25City-wide
- Community safety from gun violenceThe resident asks for efforts to make the community safer from gun violence.2024–25City-wide
- Address drug use affecting city comfortResident says drug users make the city feel unwelcoming and that there is no place for them to go.2024–25City-wide
- Enforce against marijuana smell near Boston CommonResident asks for public health enforcement of marijuana smoking near the Boston Common fountain and buildings, for people who don't want to smell it.2024–25City-wide
- Weapon turn-in and exchange standReduce guns and knives on the street by setting up a place to turn in weapons or exchange them for other needs.2024–25City-wide
- Make the MBTA saferImprove safety on the MBTA, possibly with more security guards but through a broader conversation, since many young people depend on it and don't feel safe.2024–25City-wide
- Lighting on Chestnut Hill Reservoir pathsResident asks for lighting along the paths around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, at least along Beacon Street, because it is extremely dark at night.2024–25Brighton
- Dedicated police bike theft programResident asks for at least one full-time Boston Police officer focused on solving and preventing bike thefts, which hit marginalized groups hardest and could build community trust.2024–25City-wide
- Safety marshals instead of police in tourist areasResident asks for less police presence in busy tourist areas, using public events and safety marshals to watch the street instead, because police presence does not make Black and brown residents feel safe.2024–25Back Bay
- Police talks to students on MBTA behaviorHave police work with middle and high schools to present to students about positive behavior on MBTA buses and trains.2024–25City-wide
- Noise cameras at loud intersectionsInstall noise cameras at key intersections frequented by vehicles with modified exhausts, citing health, learning and equity harms from excessive noise.2024–25City-wide
- More cameras, youth classes and community supportAdd safety cameras and offer classes for youth with more community support.2024–25City-wide
- Enforce rules for mopeds and dirt bikesIncrease enforcement against unregistered, stolen or unlit mopeds/motorbikes, requiring registration and rule compliance and banning carrying guns while riding, for safety.2024–25City-wide