Our perspective on the statistic: \’City’s Shootings to Date\’

There has been some discussion around one of the statistics released this past Monday; specifically, Year to Date Shootings, in which we listed the number of shooting incidents where a victim was struck by gunfire. We would like to take this opportunity to share the Boston Police Department’s perspective on the current YTD Shootings statistic.

• This year BPD officers have removed large numbers of illegal guns off our streets, already surpassing our totals for this time last year. This is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our officers.
• We are working very hard to get these guns off the streets and engaging in numerous community and faith-based partnerships to assist us in achieving this goal. One of those efforts, as noted in the article, is the Gun Buyback program “Aim For Peace.”

• We are the first to say that a Gun Buyback is only one part of a more comprehensive strategy. There will always be doubters and naysayers, but the numbers speak for themselves and to date we have collected 602 firearms. The buyback thus far has exceeded all expectations. We will continue to pursue traditional and non- traditional solutions in our effort to reduce violent crime.
  
  
  Here is an example of the guns this program has removed from the streets of Boston. One less gun on our streets is one less potential death
  

• Our approach is a continued emphasis on community partnerships, and a balance of prevention, intervention, and enforcement initiatives. All law enforcement efforts must be leveraged by community cooperation and participation.

While our officers on the street continue to seize illegal guns at a record pace, our officers and investigators are also targeting the small number of criminals who account for a majority of the crimes that are committed. A majority of those crimes take place in a limited number of areas around the city and are often only within a few square blocks. During the summer months, we are focusing much of our efforts and deployments on those high-risk areas.