OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Boston City Council Hearing on Summer Safety and Youth Programming - April 6, 2026

City Council — Monday, April 6, 2026
BodyBoston, Massachusetts
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, April 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:39:53

Transcript — Verbatim
3:04

Good afternoon.

3:06

For the record, my name is Aaron Murphy at Large City Councillor, and I am the chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Human Services.

3:14

Today is April 6th, 2026, and the exact time is two oh three PM.

3:20

This hearing is being recorded.

3:22

It is also being live streamed at Boston.gov backslash city dash council dash TV and broadcast on Xfinity Channel Eight, RCN Channel 82, and FIOS Channel 964.

3:36

Written comments may be sent to the committee email at CCC.gov and will be made part of the record and available to all counselors.

3:46

Public testimony will be taken at this hearing.

3:49

Individuals will be called on in the order in which they signed up, and we'll have two minutes to testify.gov for the link and your name will be added to the list.

5:01

Thank you, Madam Chair.

5:03

Thank you for chairing this important hearing and to the administration officials that are here.

5:08

Thank you for the work you're doing in our community.

5:12

As we approach the budget season, I'm going to advocate for programs that support residents across the city, especially on violence prevention programs, youth programs.

5:25

But I also think a critical part of public safety is advocating for more police officers on our streets.

5:33

I still believe we don't have enough police officers.

5:36

It's my priority to hire more police officers for the budget process.

5:42

And it's important that we also retain police officers in the city.

5:49

And that also means respecting police officers and their families and the job they do.

5:55

I think we need to do a better job in society of supporting police officers.

6:00

They play a critical role.

6:28

Thank you, Madam Chairman.

6:30

Thank you.

6:30

We will go to Councillor Fitzgerald now.

6:32

Thank you, Chair.

6:33

I know the three gentlemen on this panel have always worked with the utmost professionalism, and I have supreme confidence in them in delivering as they have been over the summers.

6:41

We have seen uh at least the issues in my district uh that have bubbled up.

6:46

Um when it comes to that next year around, we've seen a vast improvement.

6:50

I think about South Bay specifically, uh, some of the issues that were there, and uh this past summer.

6:55

Uh I don't think I received one call from South Bay.

6:57

Doesn't mean they're still on some issues to hang on to and and and to worry about, but um gentlemen, we're trending in the right direction.

7:03

I think that's all to the leadership of you guys uh here to support you all and uh and our police as well uh to continue to keep that trend going in the right direction.

7:11

Thank you, Chair.

7:12

Thank you, General.

7:14

Okay.

7:15

Um so we have been joined by the lead sponsor, but I'll go first and then you go.

7:20

Are you fine?

7:21

Okay, so you have one.

7:22

And um, Council Calpepa will be back for his opening statement.

7:26

So each year we hold this hearing because we know that preparing for summer cannot start when school lets out, and it has to start now.

7:34

So summer in Boston should be a time of opportunity, connection, and growth for our young people.

7:40

But we also know that when structure, programming, and support are not in place, risk increases.

7:46

That is why this hearing is so important.

7:48

This is about being proactive, not reactive.

7:52

I filed this hearing along with counselor Warrell, um, and I know we've held this before sometimes in the evening in community, but always trying to get ahead of the summer months, which we know more activity happens.

8:06

I want to recognize um the administration who is here, Superintendent Chin.

8:12

Thank you for all you do at the Bureau of Community Engagement.

8:16

Isaac, I have to read it because you have two roles, not just a dad.

8:20

You have two other roles.

8:21

You have director of the Office of Violence Prevention and the Senior Advisor for Community Safety.

8:26

So thank you for being here in both those roles.

8:29

And of course, Pedro Cruz, the executive director of the Office of Youth Engagement in Advancement.

8:34

So important that as we go into the budget season, especially in a tough year like this, that we're supporting all of the funding, knowing that when we support our youth that we have good results.

8:47

So we need to understand also like from you what it looks like on the ground and what changes you may have to be proactive.

8:55

Are there safe structured spaces in the evenings and on weekends?

8:59

Are our community centers, parks and pools and libraries staffed and prepared?

9:04

Are we ready in the neighborhoods that need these resources the most?

9:08

Residents want to know what will be happening in their neighborhoods this summer.

9:12

Families want to know where their children will have safe spaces to go, and our young people deserve rail opportunities and rail support.

9:20

And I do just want to uplift, and we already had that hearing that we also have every year about youth summer jobs.

9:25

So thank you for all of you in this administration for always supporting and expanding those opportunities for our youth.

9:33

So looking forward to hearing from you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Youth Programs█████████████████████████████████████████████57%
Public Safety███████████████████████29%
Community Engagement███4%
Reentry Services██3%
Procedural██2%
Youth Mental Health██2%
Workforce Development██2%
Mental Health Awareness█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Boston City Council Hearing on Summer Safety and Youth Programming - April 6, 2026

The Boston City Council Committee on Human Services, chaired by Councillor Aaron Murphy, held a hearing on April 6, 2026, at 2:03 PM to discuss the city's preparation for summer 2026, with a focus on youth safety, violence prevention, and engagement programs. The panel included Pedro Cruz, Executive Director of the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement (OYEA); Isaac Gablo, Senior Advisor for Community Safety and Director of the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP); and Superintendent James Chin of the Boston Police Department’s Bureau of Community Engagement. The hearing was live-streamed and broadcast on local channels.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • John Smith St. Cyr, founder of the J.L. Smith Suicide Prevention Center for Young Black Boys, testified that the city is not prioritizing grassroots organizations. He stated that he personally funds a Saturday program for young Black boys in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan, and criticized the city for having resources for professional sports and police overtime but not for youth stabilization. He called for increased investment in prevention before crisis.

Discussion Items

  • Opening Statements: Councillors Murphy, Flynn, Fitzgerald, Culpeper, and Warrell emphasized the need for proactive summer planning, youth employment, violence prevention, and support for police. Several noted progress in areas like South Bay and the importance of data-informed strategies.
  • Pedro Cruz (OYEA): Presented Boston After Dark, which expanded from 18 events serving over 1,000 youth in 2024 to 23 events serving over 1,500 youth in 2025. Planned expansions for 2026 include four Boston Housing Authority (BHA) sites and events for 19–25 year olds (e.g., a comedy night at City Hall). He highlighted partnerships with BCYF, YMCA, BHA, and cultural institutions like the ICA and MFA. The Youth Line resource database grew from 300 to over 700 resources, with an AI-enhanced search.
  • Isaac Gablo (OVP): Outlined the summer safety framework based on prevention, intervention, recovery, and reinvestment. He noted areas for improvement, including weekend trauma response (Community Healing Response Network currently operates Monday–Friday) and job placement challenges for proven-risk youth. He emphasized the need for primary prevention and better alignment of resources with community needs.
  • Superintendent James Chin (BPD): Stressed community-oriented policing, trust-building, and data-informed deployment. He highlighted the role of district community service officers and collaborations with city partners. He noted that crime rates are down about 5% year-to-date for violent crime and that BPD relies on intelligence and social media monitoring to address street takeovers.
  • Council Questions:
    • Councillor Warrell inquired about BPD costs for Boston After Dark (officers are on duty) and strategies for street takeovers. Gablo noted the “Revelers Plan” and regional collaboration.
    • Councillor Flynn asked about safety for seniors in Chinatown and engagement in public housing developments. Chin mentioned a permanent walking beat in Chinatown and drug control units. Cruz described piloting private events at BHA sites (e.g., Franklin Field with 80 youth) and expanding to four sites in 2026.
    • Councillor Culpeper asked about metrics. Cruz uses attendance numbers; Gablo tracks crime reduction, perceptions of safety, and community reinvestment. Both publish impact reports.
    • Councillor Fitzgerald asked about the most effective tool. Gablo cited access to information and trustworthy staff; Cruz cited Boston After Dark; Chin emphasized trust and community partnerships. All favored strengthening weaknesses (primary prevention) over doubling down on strengths.
    • Councillor Warrell asked about partnership evaluation and certification. Cruz described free monthly professional development for youth workers, with over 600 attendees, and ongoing talks with Urban College for a semester certification program.
    • Councillor Culpeper raised the issue of weekend programming. Gablo acknowledged conversations with BCYF about extending summer hours.
    • Councillor Murphy asked about involving youth in major events (World Cup, Tall Ships). Gablo and Cruz confirmed ongoing discussions with YEO to prioritize youth jobs and DJ opportunities.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken, but several directives and next steps were noted:
    • Expansion of Boston After Dark to four BHA sites and inclusion of 19–25 year old programming.
    • Continued community engagement via “Village Vibe” resource fairs and community conversations.
    • Improvement of weekend trauma response (Community Healing Response Network) to cover Friday–Sunday.
    • Exploration of budget adjustments for OVP, with Gablo to provide data on current spending and needs after the budget is codified.
    • Commitment to follow up on the youth line and partnership opportunities raised in public testimony.
  • The hearing was adjourned at an unspecified time after closing remarks.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. For the record, my name is Aaron Murphy at Large City Councillor, and I am the chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Human Services. Today is April 6th, 2026, and the exact time is two oh three PM. This hearing is being recorded. It is also being live streamed at Boston.gov backslash city dash council dash TV and broadcast on Xfinity Channel Eight, RCN Channel 82, and FIOS Channel 964. Written comments may be sent to the committee email at CCC.gov and will be made part of the record and available to all counselors. Public testimony will be taken at this hearing. Individuals will be called on in the order in which they signed up, and we'll have two minutes to testify.gov for the link and your name will be added to the list. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for chairing this important hearing and to the administration officials that are here. Thank you for the work you're doing in our community. As we approach the budget season, I'm going to advocate for programs that support residents across the city, especially on violence prevention programs, youth programs. But I also think a critical part of public safety is advocating for more police officers on our streets. I still believe we don't have enough police officers. It's my priority to hire more police officers for the budget process. And it's important that we also retain police officers in the city. And that also means respecting police officers and their families and the job they do. I think we need to do a better job in society of supporting police officers. They play a critical role. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Thank you. We will go to Councillor Fitzgerald now. Thank you, Chair. I know the three gentlemen on this panel have always worked with the utmost professionalism, and I have supreme confidence in them in delivering as they have been over the summers. We have seen uh at least the issues in my district uh that have bubbled up. Um when it comes to that next year around, we've seen a vast improvement. I think about South Bay specifically, uh, some of the issues that were there, and uh this past summer. Uh I don't think I received one call from South Bay. Doesn't mean they're still on some issues to hang on to and and and to worry about, but um gentlemen, we're trending in the right direction. I think that's all to the leadership of you guys uh here to support you all and uh and our police as well uh to continue to keep that trend going in the right direction. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, General. Okay. Um so we have been joined by the lead sponsor, but I'll go first and then you go. Are you fine? Okay, so you have one. And um, Council Calpepa will be back for his opening statement. So each year we hold this hearing because we know that preparing for summer cannot start when school lets out, and it has to start now. So summer in Boston should be a time of opportunity, connection, and growth for our young people. But we also know that when structure, programming, and support are not in place, risk increases. That is why this hearing is so important. This is about being proactive, not reactive. I filed this hearing along with counselor Warrell, um, and I know we've held this before sometimes in the evening in community, but always trying to get ahead of the summer months, which we know more activity happens. I want to recognize um the administration who is here, Superintendent Chin. Thank you for all you do at the Bureau of Community Engagement. Isaac, I have to read it because you have two roles, not just a dad. You have two other roles. You have director of the Office of Violence Prevention and the Senior Advisor for Community Safety. So thank you for being here in both those roles. And of course, Pedro Cruz, the executive director of the Office of Youth Engagement in Advancement.

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