Violence intervention program hits streets

It is lined with five houses, four of them three-deckers and lies almost directly across from the John Marshall Elementary School, the site of two separate shootings within a month - one inside the school gymnasium and another, fatal one on the road in front of the school.

Tisha, a mother of two young boys who gave only her first name, lives on Westville Terrace.

She told two canvassers from Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Violence Intervention Program, which went door-to-door last night to survey the concerns of those who live in the neighborhood, that she never lets her children go near the school.

“It’s too dangerous,’’ Tisha said.

Another resident of the road, a 21-year-old man who was recently laid off and did not give his name, told the volunteers he was concerned for the safety of his 3-year-old daughter.

“I try and stay to myself,’’ he said. “It’s getting bad. It just doesn’t seem safe.’’

More than 70 volunteers from the Boston public schools, the Boston Public Health Commission, and Boston Centers for Youth and Families, along with state Representative Marie St. Fleur and Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis, went into the school’s neighborhood to get a sense of residents’ concerns. The advocates knocked on the doors of about 400 residents and handed out packets of information on city resources and services.

Public Health Commissioner Barbara Ferrer said she surveyed people in the immediate neighborhood and found that many were unaware of the services available, including help with jobs, education for children, immigration, health care, homeowners, and legal issues.

“We need to get people involved and aware of what is going on, and this is one of the best ways we can think of to do it,’’ Ferrer said.

“People can tell us concerns they have, or issues that need attention that we would otherwise miss.’’ Ferrer said she hoped the door-to-door effort would gain the attention of youth in the neighborhood, which she believes is essential to handling conflict and preventing violence.

“Youths are a central part of what it takes to create peace,’’ she said. “They really know the neighborhood, and have this incredible ability to be articulate and reasonable.’’

Daphne Griffin, executive director of the Boston Center for Youth and Families, said the residents she surveyed in a barber shop and laundromat along Geneva Avenue mainly gave her feedback about quality-of-life issues.

One man told her he was assaulted while waiting for public transportation, but because he was an undocumented immigrant, did not report it to police.

“People need a way to voice their concern,’’ Griffin said.

“We tend to just react when things like this happen,’’ she said, referring to last week’s shooting, “but this is a response. The community is asking for support, but we need to find out what they want from us first.’’

So far, the city has taken measures to address some of the concerns voiced by those who use the school’s Marshall Community Center.

The changes include adding law enforcement personnel; new closed-circuit video surveillance equipment; improvements to exterior lighting; and a new membership tracking system for the center.

Surveys were distributed to families living on Bowdoin Street, Geneva Avenue, Dakota Street, and Westville Street and Westfield Terrace.

A community meeting will be held Dec. 12 to discuss the results of last night’s survey and what other improvements can be made.

Menino, who was not in attendance last night, said in a statement: “We always strive to deliver the best resources and programming possible for our neighborhoods, and there’s no better way to hear the community’s concerns than by visiting homes. The feedback we gain from these conversations will help us develop solutions that will have lasting positive results for the Marshall community.’’