The safety issues in Boston are concerning and need to be held with more care because they create an unsafe environment for teens who attend after-school programs and need to get around the city. Nothing is being done to help neighborhoods that have a majority of people of color, so how do we expect the future of our society to prosper when they are dealing with such unsafe environments? Social issues consist of safety concerns regarding street lights, the lack of cleanliness in areas, and the unsafe environments where teens are exposed to people with mental health and drug abuse problems.
I’m sure everyone knows that walking in certain areas in Boston is unsafe, it’s a no-brainer but certain instances have caused some areas to become more unsafe for teenagers. There are times at night when the street lights go out for minutes on end on Malcolm X Boulevard and this has become an issue that has lasted for almost over a year now with no signs of improvement. This can be incredibly dangerous, especially for teens coming home at night from after-school programs and clubs. This area where the street lights go out is near the Reggie Lewis Center which is across the street from a bus stop. Waiting at night at a bus stop can be unsettling for teens who are there already, but when you pair that with street lights turning off for minutes on end, this creates a lot of possibilities for danger to happen. Also to add on there are a majority of people who are unwell, like people who struggle with drug addictions, and people who are mentally unwell. As a student myself who has numerous after-school programs which lead me to wait at this specific bus stop, this is a massive safety concern, especially in an area that is known for violence. According to Hoa Yang Senior Lighting Designer for ARUP, “Night-time lighting has the power to transform spatial equity” and it “encourages engaged users who are more willing to care for the space and the people around it, fostering a naturally safer community.” There needs to be further action to address this concern as not only is it unsafe for teenagers but for everyone.
On top of that the cleanliness around the city is concerning. Again in the area near the Reggie Lewis Center near Roxbury Crossing, the building formerly known as the Timilty Middle School always has rats running around it. Rats carry many diseases, this is a health concern, not to mention that there is a park in particular where the rodent infestation is becoming concerning. The rats are attracted to this area as there is a lot of trash around here. So much so the community has to come together to clean the space themselves.
Another safety concern that should heavily be looked into, especially for the well-being of teens, is the amount of mentally unwell people around the area of schools like Fenway, Madison Park, O’Bryant, and EMK. But not solely in school areas that teens find themselves in the most, such as Mattapan, Dorchester, Downtown, Mission Hill, etc. I’m not advocating to just remove or kick these people out of the area without careful planning and empathy. Some of these people need mental health care that they don’t have access to, especially in the area where primarily people of color are. The teens that are in this area are at risk with mentally unwell people as this sprout altercation and we have seen pretty scary instances of unsafe interactions.
How do we expect the future of our society to prosper when they are being provided with such unsanitary and dangerous conditions/environment? Safety concerns regarding the street lights, the lack of cleanliness in areas, and the unsafe environments where teens are exposed to people with mental health and drug abuse problems make focusing on just being a teenager and exploring the world really difficult.
