Jump In Boston Murder Rate Blamed On Drug Trade
BOSTON (CBS) -- Murder is on the rise in Boston.
There have been 64 homicides so far this year, the latest happening early this morning in Mattapan.
Last year at this time there were 43 murders.
The record number of murders occurred in 1990 when there were 152 killings.
Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis tells WBZ News Radio this year's spike has a lot to do with the drug trade.
Davis says more people are dealing drugs and some dealers who'd been locked up are being let back out on the streets.
"The re-entry problem is something that has driven homicides in other cities across the country and we see it happening here now. So we need to be very aggressive in dealing with monitoring people who have just been released who have been in this business before and who apparently have decided to get back into the business," Davis said.
Podcast
Commissioner Ed Davis speaks with WBZ News Radio Producer Jon MacLean about the latest murder and the spike in the overall murder rate.
Davis believes many victims and killers know each other. He says if you're not involved in drugs you have little to worry about.
The latest murder happened just after midnight in Mattapan.
Police tell WBZ News Radio the victim was a man who was shot and killed on Fessenden Street.
There have been no arrests.
