Councilors to look at curbing drug use, violence on Boston Common and downtown; one councilor wishes her colleagues and the media would stop being so darn negative, though

The City Council yesterday approved holding a hearing at which to consider ways to combat what some said was drug use and related violence that are so bad they are making some residents think of moving away and of threatening Boston's tourism industry.

The council voted for the hearing requested by Councilor Ed Flynn (Downtown, South Boston, South End, Chinatown), who in August demanded the city cancel all events on the Common following a stabbing off Winter Street. The city did not and events on the Common and on Summer Street went off without a hitch.

Flynn said that over the past few months, residents, workers and business owners have complained to him about the rise of "open drug dealing and drug use, violent crime, with a number of stabbing and assaults and an overall decline in sense of public safety" in downtown and around the Common.

He said that downtown residents and even doctors say they no longer feel safe walking on downtown streets after 5 or 6 p.m., and that some residents have told him they are "seriously considering moving out," even if that means selling their condos at a loss. He added that in September, Boston Police reported that "crime stats in the area are trending upward."

He said some tour operators are now re-routing their buses to avoid the Common, at least in the area of Tremont and Park. "Tour operators and visitors were punched," he said.

He added that one 4-year-old and her caregiver on the way to school on Beacon Hill were attacked by a woman with mental and behavioral problems and that a man was stabbed at Brewer Fountain in October.

Flynn said the city needs to provide treatment and other resources for people suffering from substance-abuse and behavioral problems, but, at the same time, he called for a "zero tolerance" policy and the arrests and stiff sentencing of people committing any illegal act downtown, even if that proves politically unpopular.

"We cannot continue to allow violent crime, open drug dealing, drug use and other activities to take over the area at the expense of our residents, businesses and visitors," he said. "These parks belong to everybody."

Councilor Sharon Durkan (Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Fenway, Mission Hill), said she was heartened when District A-1, after requests from her and community members, managed to rustle up some extra officers for foot patrols to ensure that Boston Common "remains a safe place."

She said the extra eyes have helped immensely and quoted from a letter she said she got from a Beacon Hill resident who said the Common has become so safe, she recently walked past the Brewer Fountain with her 1-year child and didn't feel afraid, re-igniting the love of Boston she developed after moving here from New York ten years ago and realized Boston "is truly beautiful and the people are kind and wonderful."

Durkan then tore into other councilors, whom she did not name, and the media, for becoming such Debbie Downers when it comes to public safety in the area.

"I have heard from commercial real-estate folks that the way that this issue is being discussed, particularly in the media, is impacting businesses' willingness to move downtown," she said. And businesses that don't move downtown won't be providing the extra foot traffic and eyes on the street that provide extra safety - and internships and jobs for local residents and students.

"I caution us to not have negative impacts on businesses that want to move here," she said, calling on other councilors and the media to turn their frowns upside down. "The way we talk about Boston and the candor we take has an impact on businesses and it has an impact on people willing to move here," she said.

As an example of what can happen with a positive outlook, she pointed to Car Gurus, which recently held an opening ceremony for its new headquarters at Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston Street. She said Car Gurus officials said they chose Boston because of its community feel and ease of getting from one place to another - and that councilors should be highlighting such stories.

City Councilor Julia Mejia (at large) said she's actually kind of glad that downtown and Beacon Hill are beginning to experience the same sort of problems residents of areas such as Roxbury and Mattapan have suffered for years - and that's why she asked Flynn to make her a formal co-sponsor of his hearing request.

"Oftentimes it's Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan that are dealing with issues like this," she said. "And not to say that I'm happy to see it happening on Beacon Hill or Back Bay, but I am going say that, because I think what it does is it creates an opportunity for other people to understand what it looks like when we have been sounding the alarm for decades and now that it's spilling over all across the city, my hope is that everyone is going to start recognizing the role that we all play in making sure that we're addressing this issue in ways that make sense."