Outbreak of violence in the city raises alarm, heightens fear – The Boston Globe

My husband and I gingerly crossed the street to the parking garage, passing in front of a police car, not in the crosswalk, to avoid the young people nearby. In the garage elevator, a mother with her two children said they were told to evacuate the theater before their movie started. Two men reported that we should exit the garage through the rear and turn right to avoid the scene.

I was aware that there had been an attack on a teen earlier in the week at the South Bay shopping center. I made a mental note to change the venue for my tickets to see the Metropolitan Opera “Live in HD” in the fall to the AMC downtown. As we sped past Mass. and Cass (oddly, feeling less threatened there), little did I realize that the downtown AMC theater would experience another brawl a few hours later.

Growing up in New York City in the 1970s, I learned always to be aware of my surroundings. Sad to say, that’s the case here and now.

Pat Stanton

South End

Young people erupting in melees need guidance before it’s too late

This past weekend, there were several cases of violence in Boston that should concern all of us, but especially the parents of young people.

As the Globe reported, a crowd of about 400 young people outside the movie theater at the South Bay shopping center engaged in multiple melees, resulting in the closure of stores and requiring a large response by police, several of whom were said to have been assaulted. Later that evening at the AMC Boston, about 150 young people were again acting violently. Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said, “This behavior is not kid behavior — it’s criminal behavior.”

The current activity of the city’s youth is troubling, not just as a matter of personal safety but for the impact it could have on the Boston economy if residents avoid shopping centers, theaters, or any area where young people may gather. The uproar these incidents create could be harmful to the young people themselves, the police, and to innocent people who find themselves in the vicinity.

I would remind parents and guardians that it is their responsibility, not that of schools, police, or society, to be a good example to their children and teach them to respect others, especially authority.

Michael W. Kelleher III

Charlestown

Forget more ‘services’ — let’s see more law enforcement

Criminal behavior has taken a new foothold in our major cities. The answer is not more “services.” The answer is prosecution of offenses. You break the law, you pay the price. There seems to be no consequence for crime. Many police will tell you how frustrated they are by a lack of support from the criminal justice system and so-called progressive positions on law enforcement.

No sooner is an alleged offender arrested than they are promptly released. Look at the policies that former Suffolk district attorney Rachael Rollins and other like-minded officials introduced. How are relaxed shoplifting laws working out in cities such as San Francisco and Portland, Ore.?

Where is that money for more services? Let’s face it: The answer is a return to enforcement of the law so that police can be effective at stopping crime.

Paul Sullivan

Eastham