Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox had a warning for people who are considering coming to Boston to engage in illegal dirt bike, ATV, or drag racing on city streets this summer.
“Do not come to Boston this summer to engage in this activity, because we will seize vehicles and equipment and other things to make sure the quality of life in our city stays outstanding,” Cox said at a press conference at the Tobin Community Center Tuesday morning, where he and other city leaders joined Mayor Michelle Wu to roll out Boston’s 2024 summer safety plan. Cox added that many of the people who are caught participating in the events are not from Boston.
In April, residents in the Back Bay neighborhood were stunned after more than 40 cars blocked off Marlborough Street around 2 a.m. one morning as drivers did burnouts and raced along the streets for a crowd of onlookers. The incident heightened concerns over how Boston police are preparing for a possible increase in drag racing, street takeovers, or large public disturbances as the summer months roll in.
On Monday night, Boston police also arrested six men and one woman, towed five cars, and took several large speakers into custody in a “reveling” incident, where the seven people had been playing “obnoxiously” loud music in the Franklin Park Zoo and White Stadium area. According to the police report, the suspects brought their cars “equipped with aftermarket massive speakers capable of producing [decibel] levels which would rival if not exceed a night club or concert. ... then generate a party like atmosphere bringing revealers [sic] from far and wide.”
All seven were charged with disturbing the peace.
While Cox on Tuesday said the department has a plan in place to crack down on both prevention and intervention for illegal drag racing and “reveling” events, he declined to share more information about the efforts other than to say BPD is working with its auto theft unit, and other law enforcement and community partners to address the issue.
“We did something about it last summer, but we are getting more people involved because the issue is not really going away,” said Cox. “So we don’t want folks to come to the city, it’s not a ‘reveler’ place to be, and they will find out if they come.”
Cox said about about 10 to 15 percent of the dirt bikes and ATVs taken into police custody during these incidents were reported stolen. People who participate in illegal drag racing or “reveling” face citations and criminal charges, and are reported to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
In 2023, police seized 150 dirt bikes, ATVs, or other cars involved in illegal racing, and issued more than 400 citations.
At Tuesday’s press conference, officials shared other details on the city’s summer safety plan for 2024, which they said is a collaborative effort involving 25 city departments. The plan takes a public health approach, with strategies to prevent violence and invest in the communities most affected by violence, developing concrete steps to intervene when violence occurs, and allocating funding to help communities recover after traumatic or violent incidents.
Officials particularly focused this year on scaling up community and youth activities and engagement, providing more programming for teenagers and young adults during hours and days when the city sees spikes in crime and trouble.
Starting on June 21, the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement is launching a new program called Boston After Dark, to provide events and activities for teens and young adults from 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday until Aug. 30. The department is also launching programming during June 22-July 7 and Aug. 17-31, which are the two gap weeks between the school year and summer jobs.
The city is offering more community activation grants than in any other year, ranging from block party grants, to arts and culture or workforce development grants. Wu said the city is also lifting the cap on the youth jobs program, guaranteeing a summer job to any BPS student who wants one and meets the age requirements.
Nas Ibrahim, a 23-year-old native Dorchester resident, also spoke at the press conference and said for years he had interactions with law enforcement, who considered him “high risk” for initiating or being involved in crime or violence. But this year, after a city official enrolled him in a new workforce development, life skills, and violence prevention program called “Grassroots,” he’s chosen a new path for himself.
“Something I’m not proud of, for a long time I played my hand in a lot of the negativity that wreaks havoc throughout this whole city that we see still to this day,” Ibrahim said. “I have the capabilities to make a difference, it’s really about sitting down and putting my mind to it. ... I wouldn’t have been comfortable in these spaces a year ago, but they opened these spaces to me and allowed me to come in here and speak my piece and give my input on the greater problem.”
Ensuring Bostonians have safe and healthy ways to beat the heat is also at the top of mind for city officials, especially after Wu’s trip last week to Italy to participate in a summit at the Vatican on how to address climate change.
“In Boston that shows up with hotter and hotter summers,” Wu said. “We all have felt it, the winters have been milder, the summers have been hotter, it starts a lot earlier in the year.”
To help residents keep cool, Wu said the parks department is turning on water features in public spaces weeks earlier than in previous years, and making sure more parks have interactive water elements. She also said more pools will be open this summer than were last year.
Whenever temperatures reach the threshold of being a heat emergency, the city will open cooling centers. More Boston Centers for Youth and Families facilities will also have misting tents.
Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.