THE BOSTON GUARDIAN June 26, 2020 Vol. 5 Issue 4 U.S. Census Count May Hurt Boston By Jim Morrison In 2010, only 64% of Bostonians were accounted for in the census. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has made people much harder to find Photo: BPD Photo: and count and if Boston’s neighbor- hoods are undercounted, that means less federal funding through 2030. A-1 Captain As a result of the last census, Boston lost a congressional seat. State Repreasentative Jay Livingstone said Fong Retires he doesn’t think that would happen again, but significant federal funding By Jim Morrison is at risk. “The Census Bureau had a robust BPD District A-1 Commander Captain plan to go door to door to encourage Kenneth Fong retired last week after 33 people to fill out the forms,” he years on the job, including more than said. “They were going to attend the five years at the helm of a busy area that typical summer community events. includes downtown, Beacon Hill, the Some people have left their home North End and Charlestown. in the city and are staying at second Fong’s successor has not been named, houses. Census reporting nationwide but Boston Police Deprtment (BPD) is is under what you would expect due expected to announce one soon. to the pandemic.” Continued on Page 2 Photo: Census Bureau Continued on Page 2 Boston Colleges Arm Their Cops hosted earlier this month by Sen. William Brownsberger and Reps. Chynah Tyler, Jay Livingstone and Jon Santiago, potential reforms of the Boston Police Department were discussed. An attendee, recalling Berklee’s decision to arm college police officers in 2017, with little community input, then asked Photo: Boston Preservation Alliance Boston Preservation Photo: “Can we have a discussion about disarming [campus] police forces?” Berklee’s police department Local Buildings Get started arming their officers in June 2017 before local residents Preservation Awards were notified of the change. A By Mary Ellen Gambon public meeting to discuss the move for creatively modernizing was held months after firearms Four historic downtown their structures without losing were distributed. Although buildings were among those their sense of significance. The By Catherine McGloin Berklee apologized for their lack of honored by the Boston theme of the awards focused on guns, during a recent community community engagement, residents Preservation Alliance with 2020 buildings as storytellers. Fenway residents questioned the meeting with local politicians. were outraged by their actions. Preservation Achievement awards need for campus police to carry During a virtual town hall Continued on Page 6 Continued on Page 2 THE BOSTON GUARDIAN 2 | June 26, 2020 U.S. Census higher numbers. where they spend most of their time. federal law and cannot be used by any other “Since COVID-19, the population “Unfortunately, taking a census during an federal agency or court. Continued from Page 1 has dropped drastically in the Whittier epidemic is not going to find people where “Getting an accurate count is critically condos, where I live,” he said. “It seems they live,” he said. “If the other neighbor- important,” she said. “Every form completed And what about the tens of thousands of like it’s down by around one third. I’m hoods are in the same boat, some of our brings in $2,400 in federal funds. There are college and university students that left when sure it’s true of the rest of the West End. I districts could combine into one. I think it’s around 35,000 to 40,000 people living in the schools were closed March 15 before the haven’t seen a school-aged child in the West just going to be a disaster.” the Fenway.” census began? How many will come back and End for six weeks. When the epidemic broke Fenway CDC community organiz- That amounts to about $1 million in lost fill them out claiming residence in Boston, out, everyone with kids moved to their er Jaya Aiyer is also very concerned revenue annually for every 400 people not not their home town, by the October 31 vacation homes and many likely filled the about that neighborhood being accounted for in the census. As of June 15, deadline? No one knows. forms out there.” undercounted since it is home to so many there had already been 936 COVID-19 Joe McDonald, long-time West End Census data impacts things like representa- renters, people of color, low-income people, related deaths in Suffolk County (which resident and civic leader said someone from tion, federal funding and business planning. non-English speakers and young children, all includes Revere, Winthrop and Chelsea). the Census Bureau called him a month ago McDonald said when people who spend people who have traditionally been difficult Mayor Walsh’s office did not respond to a with concerns that so far, his neighborhood most of the year in Boston, but claim to be to count. request for comment. had dramatically lower census concerns than residents of their vacation communities, they She said some residents don’t fill the forms The U.S. Census can be completed in expected. With all the new construction are unwittingly diverting federal aid away out because they fear the government, even 13 different languages by phone (844-330- over the last ten years, they expected much from Boston, leaving fewer resources for though personal census data is protected by 2020) or online at www.2020census.gov. College Guns any impact of an event that happens employs 49 officers, serving a Fong Retires on campus,” said Davis, who spent 21 community of 40,000 to 50,000, Continued from Page 1 Continued from Page 1 years as an officer and chief of police in according to Colin Riley, Boston Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. University’s executive director of media In 2015 the NUPD was criticized relations. Boston University Police Fong could not be festival,” he said. “He Police and public safety departments for arming some of their officers with Department (BUPD) officers are also reached for comment, but had just been appointed at Berklee did not respond to requests semi-automatic rifles. “This is a step trained to municipal police standards in a statement he said, and he was just walking for comment. backwards for community policing and carry firearms. All officers receive “Throughout my career, around talking to people. “There’s a very serious conversation and encourages mistrust and fear,” firearms training in the police academy the community has always Shortly after that, he about how much force do we need to wrote Councilors Tito Jackson and and qualify twice annually. been at the forefront of my appeared before the West be using to respond to problems in Josh Zakim in a letter to Northeastern’s BUPD officers protect the univer- philosophy an efforts. If I End and Beacon Hill our society generally, and the answer President Joseph Aoun. sity’s communities and properties have learned anything in neighborhood groups. is probably less,” said Brownsberger. In defense of his decision five years “mainly through education and my career, policing efforts Whenever there was a “I do think that there’a militarization ago, Davis said “In responding to prevention,” said Riley, and “are are enhanced, strengthened problem he was very thing that can go too far … but the active events in a densely populated the first responders to incidents on and nurtured through thoughtful and approach- notion that you wouldn’t have any campus, accuracy over distance is campus, including any acts of terror strong community relation- able. He will be missed. arms among college police forces is just essential.” He said these long or active shooter incidents, ensuring ships. Undoubtedly the city Whoever succeeds him will probably not a viable idea.” guns do not fire at a faster rate than prompt emergency response time to is safer when we all work have big shoes to fill.’ Campus police are often the first handguns, but give highly trained critical incidents.” together.” “Captain Fong has been department to respond to incidents officers to ability to respond swiftly Students and community members Community leaders in a great leader in the field of that may require the use of firearms. “If and with greater accuracy in an recognize campus police departments’ the district had nothing but public safety,” Downtown a very serious incidence occurs would emergency. necessary role in ensuring the safety praise for Captain Fong. Boston Business President you want a police officer to show up During a semester, NUPD officers of everyone within their jurisdiction, George Coorssen, and CEO Rosemary without mace or a baton or a gun?” protect about 25,000 students and but hope for better and continued cofounder of the Sansone wrote in an said Tyler. Brownsberger suggested staff across Northeastern’s 80-acre engagement. Downtown Boston email. “His dedication and that response times would increase if campus, Davis said. While he gave Hannah Nivar, a senator on Residents Association commitment to his profes- colleges and universities were to rely no precise number of how many Northeastern’s Government said he worked with Fong sion and this neighborhood on municipal departments, asking officers have access to long guns, he Association, hopes student voices will through his involvement will be missed. He was a residents “Do you want police to be said “It’s not everyone and its not feature more prominently in future in many civic organizations true partner and someone able to respond or are they going to be a small component. It’s enough people discussions about changes to on-cam- since he took over District I could count on every dependent and waiting for the Boston of our contingent so that we could pus policing.