Police Say #OccupyBoston Crime Is “Out of Control”
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Crime in the Dewey Square encampment of “Occupy Boston” is out of control, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis told Newscenter 5.
“(There are) drugs, vandalism and assaultive behavior,’’ Davis said.
As of Wednesday, taxpayers had paid $723,000 in police overtime to patrol the tent city protest.
Another man was arrested by police at South Station for selling drugs and gave his address as “Dewey Square, Boston,” when he was booked.
A woman wearing a Navy uniform was threatened and called a vile name by protesters, police said, who added that vandalism and theft are rampant.
There are increasing reports of prostitution, among the crimes that were cited in a court filing that is part of the city’s argument to Suffolk Superior Court Judge France McIntyre to lift a restraining order that prohibits police from evicting the campers.
“I want to have the tools to remove them from the Dewey Square area,’’ Mayor Thomas M. Menino told Newscenter 5.
In addition to the crime problems, the city’s Fire Marshal filed an affidavit in the court record that called “Occupy Boston’s” encampment a fire trap.
Protesters are smoking and disposing cigarettes near combustible debris; there is incense burning; dangerous extension cords and other code violations, according to the court filing.
“I believe that many of the tents at the encampment are made of highly flammable nylon or similarly flammable synthetic material…which poses an obvious increased risk of fire,’’ said Fire Marshal Bart Shea in his affidavit.
City health inspectors found a lack of toilets and showers for the people inside roughly 134 tents. Cat food was attracting rodents and food was being stored in filthy conditions, according to the court documents.
Howard Cooper, an attorney for the protesters, said the city should work alongside the group to fix the violations.
“If there is trash, buy more trash bags,” he said.
Both sides will be in court Thursday for a hearing.
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