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.
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.