Crime drops in Allston despite murder; rape cases increase
Ashley Wilbourn
|
The murder of a man in Allston broke the pattern of low violent crime in the area as demonstrated in recently released crime statistics.
Luis G. Ortiz, 25, was shot and killed on Linden Street in Allston, around 2 a.m. Saturday, March 29, by an acquaintance, Thomas B. Manning, 22, according to police. Capt. Frank Mancini of the Boston Police Department in Allston, said, "These were two people who knew each other. They were in a car together and the car was mobile."
Mancini said that the fact that the men were driving around in a car at the time of the murder suggests that the shooting was not native to Allston. "This could have happened anywhere."
Mancini said, however, that this type of crime is rare, that's why it became news. "This is the type of situation where crime is so low in Allston and Brighton that when you're doing well and a homicide happens, it makes news. Here, we're actually shocked by the fact it occurred."
Recent crime statistics released prior to the murder indicated a decrease in most violent and non-violent crime in Allston. The report compared crime in the area from Jan. 1 - March 23, 2007, to the same time period this year. At the time of the report, there were no homicides reported in either year.
The report said that robberies in the area decreased from 25 last year to 18 this year. Aggravated assault went down from 47 to 31 incidents; motor vehicle theft went from 45 to 37; larceny went from 274 to 259, and burglary dropped from 127 incidents in 2007 to 53 so far in 2008.
One crime in the area did go up - rape. Rape increased from two incidents last year to nine this year. Mancini said that the majority of the rapes involved college students partying and alcohol. "Use of alcohol in an irresponsible way that can lead to crime," he said.
Mancini said that despite the murder last weekend, the overall drop in crime in Allston is encouraging, but he acknowledged, "a lot of our crime stats could be a lot lower."
Mancini said police in the area have made a concerted effort to lower crime in Allston. "We've had several initiatives. One of the key reasons for the reduction in crime is the quick response of uniformed officers…Several arrests have been made from burglaries when we've caught people literally with a bag of goodies climbing out of a window."
Allston-Brighton resident Michael Ferraro said that he has noticed the efforts of local police to better the neighborhood. "Where I live has become pretty quiet," he said. "I've seen the police come in and shut down problems."