The number of homicides in Boston has more than doubled in less than a decade, surging from a low of 31 in 1999 to 74 in 2006. In 2005, 75 homicides marked a 10-year high, and 2007 is on a similar pace.
The bloodshed has not rivaled the late 1980s and early 1990s, when more than 153 people suffered violent deaths in 1990 alone. Still, people have taken notice.
Newly minted Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis promised to make gun violence his top priority and has railed against a "stop snitchin'" culture that has made witnesses hesitant to step forward. Police have endorsed unorthodox strategies that have included helicopter patrols over crime hotspots and brokering a truce between rival gangs.
The map to the left shows the location of all 65 homicides in Boston in 2007. Click the pinpoint for details about each crime and follow the links to learn about the victims behind the numbers.
The bloodshed has not rivaled the late 1980s and early 1990s, when more than 153 people suffered violent deaths in 1990 alone. Still, people have taken notice.
Newly minted Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis promised to make gun violence his top priority and has railed against a "stop snitchin'" culture that has made witnesses hesitant to step forward. Police have endorsed unorthodox strategies that have included helicopter patrols over crime hotspots and brokering a truce between rival gangs.
The map to the left shows the location of all 65 homicides in Boston in 2007. Click the pinpoint for details about each crime and follow the links to learn about the victims behind the numbers.
MAP LEGEND
|
MORE INFO
|
