North Enders Support Richie’s Plan to Prevent Crimes Against Women

Numerous North End residents, including State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, joined mayoral candidate Charlotte Golar Richie at Copps Hill Terrace overlooking Boston Harbor in support of her plan to lower and possibly stop violent crimes against women throughout the City of Boston.

Representative Michlewitz, who has endorsed Richie’s candidacy said, “For far too long, women in neighborhoods like this one (North End) have become all too familiar with the heinous and vicious attacks on innocent victims.”

He noted, “Every time we hear of another woman being assaulted in our neighborhoods, the reality truly hits too close to home.”

Michlewitz added, “Many times these women are just coming home from working at a restaurant, going out for a jog, or walking home after a late night out.”

Standing in the North End community where several assaults against women have taken place, Richie said “The recent numbers of high profile cases of assaults and deaths of women as a result of violence should be alarming and we need to do more to protect women in our city, starting with a consistent plan to get guns off our streets.”

Among other recommendations, Richie suggested…

• Increase community policing to strengthen ties with police, get more police on the street and have greater visibility in our neighborhoods.

• Creating a high-level position in City government that works across all city departments to better serve and close gaps in services to women and girls.

• Working for more state and federal funding and making sure the Violence Against Women Act is fully funded and fully supports the needs of women and girls.

• Working to resolve the jurisdiction issues involving city and state police support for House Bill 3051, an act to provide concurrent police authority for Massachusetts Port Authority.

• Working with federal, state, county partners, ex-offender workers and advocates for victims of crime to ensure the most accountable reentry plan.

“I will take a zero tolerance approach to violence against women in all categories,” says Richie, “those who target women to assault and rape, human traffickers who target young girls and boys. There will be no tolerance for any of those criminals within the City of Boston, or for those who come into the City of Boston to commit those crimes.”