Overview

• After a packed hearing, councilors took no vote on declaring a humanitarian crisis or public health emergency, with Councilor Sharon Durkan using a procedural move to block immediate action.
• A city memo detailed deployments of up to 100 newly graduated officers to the area, new bike patrols, portable cameras placed using 311 and 911 data, and seven-day coordinated-response staffing.
• Boston Public Health Commissioner Bisola Ojikutu reported an average of 81,000 needles distributed monthly—a 22% year-over-year decline—and about 120,000 collected, arguing an emergency declaration would not add resources and emphasizing harm reduction.
• Residents and business owners described break-ins, public defecation, and open drug use across the South End, with Doña Habana’s owner announcing plans to close due to mounting impacts.
• Councilors said they will review testimony and reconvene on policy options, as the city also told nonprofits to halt outdoor tent and meal distribution near the corridor.