BOSTON – This week, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn will join residents in attending two walkthroughs of the Andrew Square neighborhood in South Boston aimed at addressing public safety and quality of life issues. This Thursday, July 17th at 9am, there will be a walk with residents and city officials primarily focused on reviewing locations related to pest control and rodents. The walk on Friday, July 18th at 9am will include the Boston Police Department and deal with issues of public safety and the spillover effects from the Mass & Cass crisis continuing to impact nearby residents and businesses.

Neighbors have reported a recent uptick in rodent activities not only in Andrew Square, but across the city. These incidents have included countless sightings of rats during the day time. With a new Tufts University report stating that the Urban Rat population in Boston now carries Leptospirosis, a potentially serious disease for humans and other animals, it is critical to maintain our focus on pest control strategies. Councilor Flynn encourages residents to report improperly stored trash to code enforcement via 311, and to email any photos and locations to [email protected].

On Friday, Councilor Flynn invited neighbors from Andrew Square, South Boston elected officials, Boston Police, and the City of Boston’s Coordinated Response Team to join him on a public safety walkthrough to address concerns on homelessness and mental and behavioral health issues, public drug use, drug dealing, and other illegal activities from the area. With the warm weather now upon us, residents have expressed concerns on the recent uptick of open air drug markets, drug use and paraphernalia scattered across the neighborhood. Councilor Flynn encourages residents to call 911 for any emergency situation that requires an immediate response. Residents are also similarly advised to report any drug paraphernalia to the City’s mobile sharps team via 311, and to email any photos and locations to [email protected].

“When I hear about a rat in a child’s crib, and rats carrying diseases like leptospirosis, it’s evident that this is a public health emergency. We should not continue to downplay the impacts that this quality of life issue is having on neighbors across Boston,” said Councilor Flynn. “On public safety, residents and businesses in the Andrew Square neighborhood continue to report open air drug dealing and drug use due to the Mass and Cass crisis. It is long past time for zero tolerance on public safety and quality of life issues.”

For more information, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 or [email protected].