July 29, 2025 • 39 mins
Despite ongoing efforts being made by Mayor Michelle Wu and city officials, such as increased police patrols, substance abuse outreach teams, and daily needle-pickup crews, South End residents continue to express that it's just not enough. The area around the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue continues to be a humanitarian crisis. Dan was joined by Andrew Brand, Co-President of the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association, to discuss concerns over criminal activity and safety in the Mass. and Cass area.
You can hear NightSide with Dan Rea, Live! Weeknights From 8PM-12AM on WBZ - Boston's News Radio.
You can hear NightSide with Dan Rea, Live! Weeknights From 8PM-12AM on WBZ - Boston's News Radio.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night Side with Dan Ray on WVS Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Eighty nine degrees at nine oh seven in Boston. Yikes,
that's as warm as it gets at this hour of
the night. I think we broke a record today. I
know that. Well, they're breaking records all the time at
Masson Cass. This is the longest blight on Boston in
the history of the city. And no group is more
(00:29):
adversely impacted by this blight, the congregation of drug addicts,
homeless people, and Masson Cass than the residents of the
South End of Boston. And for those of you who
do not know, the South End of Boston was a
place that for many, many years was not a great
(00:50):
place to live, and over the course of investments by
people and construction by builders, it is now a wonderful
place to live, except for the fact that the folks
who call mass and Cast home spend a lot of
time roaming the neighborhood and disturbing the peace and quiet
(01:15):
enjoyment of that neighborhood with us now is someone who
has spoken out very strongly, Andrew Bryant. Andrew, as the
co president of the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association. Andrew,
I talked to you today for forty five minutes, and
I get a pretty clear impression that you have finally
had it here, that you've got to the point of
(01:38):
utter disgust with what's going on.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yes, that's true, Dan, thank you, and thank you for
having me on my pleasure. We you know, we've I've
been meeting personally with Mayor wou and the Boston Police
for a long time, but quite a bit over the
last few months for a variety of reasons that we
(02:02):
can get into during the day. But this sort of
culminated last week when we had a meeting with the
Boston Police. It was a neighborhood meeting where neighborhoods, the
neighbors were joining in. The Boston Police were there, and
during the meeting, I started the meeting by asking for
(02:22):
more resources and just saying that they're just warn't enough police,
you know, in the area to do what we needed
to do. One of the residents, in fact, Brian McCarter,
who was on your show a few months ago, he
called in and said that he reported a man with
(02:43):
a bat and a man with a ship. I think
he called it a stabby thing, and he reported that
to nine one one, and it took forty five minutes
for the police to respond. And when we asked the
police about it, they said, you know, well, we had
a lot of calls and we we just couldn't prioritize it,
(03:06):
which so exactly makes the point that we need more police.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah. I mean if you, well, yeah, if you if
you had called it and said I just saw someone
spit on the sidewalk, or or or I saw you know,
someone litter, I can understand why you might prioritize that call.
But somebody with a baseball bat and somebody with a
ship you're going to forty five minutes. That's absurd, That
is absolutely absurd. The mayor spoke with James Rojas of
(03:36):
w b Z News for about five minutes, and I
listened to all the sound bites and I have some
of them, and I want you to to respond here
a little bit. You have called for you, personally, I believe,
have called for National Guards troops UH up to and
(04:00):
including National Guard soldiers or state police to come and
support Boston police because Boston police don't have enough. This
was the reaction of Mayor Wu to ineffect your call.
I want you to respond to this rob police play
(04:22):
cut number A for my guest, I don't.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Believe we need or should have a military deployment in
our city. I do know that as we are looking
to keep tackling the specific challenges with the OBA crisis
at the national level and how that falls on local communities,
every single day we're doing more and trying something that
brings more resources into the conversation.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
I will say it. You don't have to say it,
and you can disagree with me, but whenever I hear
the mayor talk about anything that is this uncomfortable to her,
it becomes a word salad. You know, military deploy you
were looking for state police, maybe National Guard. That's not
quite military deployment. Military deployment is like tanks and planes.
(05:11):
It's what you do in wartime.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Yeah, so let me put that in context. Sure, I
mean you saw the start of it. I'm not going
to go with a two hour meeting, so I'm not
going to recall the whole two hour meeting. But that
was one of the things that really started setting residents off.
It was a zoom meeting, but you could feel the
tension rising. Eventually, the you know, one resident said well,
(05:37):
you know, you don't have enough resources to protect us.
How do we protect ourselves? Should we all go out
and get guns? And you know, the police said, well,
you have the right to do that, and but they actually,
and amazingly to me, they suggested that we should get
pepper spray instead, and they actually told us where to
get it, you know, on the news, which which was
(05:58):
really surprising. But that what it told us, or what
I heard, was your respond we can't help you. We
don't have the resources to protect you. You need, you know,
and we're going to tell you how you can protect yourselves.
I don't think they meant it in a negative way.
I just think they're out out there's just too many
(06:20):
people for how many people the city is allocated. And
at that point I just got exasperated and I said,
you know, well, you know, maybe we should bring in
the you know, the state police, and if they don't
have the resources, maybe we should bring in the National Guard.
So it wasn't Yes, I did say it, but it
wasn't in that context. The context was quite frankly, I
(06:43):
would love for the Boston police to have enough people
to you know, to protect the neighborhood. Quite frankly, you know,
they told us that they don't, and you know that
that's what this was about. You know, the mayor. When
the mayor got rid of the ten she made sure
that there were enough police. She had, you know, multiple
(07:05):
fixed posts and you know, a police a very visible
police van. And it was pretty clear to any addict
that they need they couldn't stay there anymore. They came
to our neighborhood. But you know she's not doing that
for us.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Well, I think that she was eliminating what she perceived
as the political problem of a photograph to be in
the New York Times or something like that. And for
first into the South End. It's difficult. It's more difficult
to measure that and to put that picture in the
South End. But when we get back, I want to
talk about what your neighborhood is undergoing. Meaning people you
(07:45):
wake up in the morning and on your front steps,
you find people who are strong out, You find people
who are doing drugs, hard drugs. You find people who
were doing what nature comes necessary to most people and
if they don't don't have anywhere to live, or they
do what bears do in the woods. I guess it
(08:06):
would be the kindest way to describe it. My guest
is Andy Brand And if you live in the South End,
love to hear from you six one, seven, four, ten thirty.
If you live in another part of the city, and
if you are happy that the mass and cast problem
is not in your neighborhood and you want to advocate
(08:27):
for it to stay there, you're welcome. But more importantly,
if you live in another part of the city and
you empathize with your fellow neighbors in the South End
and fellow residents in Boston, love to hear from as well.
Because this community needs some help. They're not getting it.
That doesn't seem to be anywhere at the top of
the priority list of this administration. The police department pretty
(08:51):
much sounds to me like they're waiving, you know, a
white flag. Larry Calderona, the Boston Police Patrolman's Association, has
told me for years that our police department, or the
city Boston's police department, is understaffed by about one thousand officers,
you know, frontline officers right now. So six one, seven, two, five,
(09:12):
four ten thirty, six one seven, nine, three, one ten
thirty those are the numbers. Give us a call coming
right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on wb Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
My guess is Andrew Brand. He's the co president of
the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association. You've lived in the
South End? How long, Andrew?
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Twenty eight years?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Twenty eight years? Do you have a family?
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Uh, it's just me and my girlfriend. Most of my
family lives out of state.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Okay, what percentage of the the people live in the
South End to have children, little kids running around? I
know it's not a huge number, but it is significant. Nonetheless, right, it's.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Not a each number, but there there at least I
would say twenty families that I know of that that
have kids between one and say six or seven years old.
There's a lot of you know, toddlers and a little
bit older and they have to go to school and
see you know, walk to school and see this. And Dan,
(10:21):
before we you know, before we end the show, I'd
like to make sure we have some time. I'm happy
to talk about the conditions for as long as you want,
but I would also love to we have a we
have proposed a solution, and I would when you were
working with Brian, you know, you were looking for that.
(10:41):
We've proposed a solution a long time ago. Brian was
unaware of it at the time, and I would really
like a chance to discuss it with we will.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
I promise you, I'll give you every opportunity I want
to take. Get a couple of calls in again, just
to flesh out the problem and make people understand that
this is a serious problem. Uh. And it's not being
as a serious problem. But we did talk about that
solution today that you've worked on in conjunction with Center
Nick Collins. I think it's a great idea and I
(11:11):
would love to know if the powers that be have
been consulted about that. But let's let me grab a
couple of phone calls first. Just get people involved in
the conversation so they fully understand. I think everybody understands
what it is like to have I mean, what do
you think the population is? Real? Quick question? Give me
a quick answer. The population of the mass and casts group.
(11:35):
Are we talking about twenty people or two?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
No? No, no, no, I would say, all told, it's
at least one hundred, probably closer to two hundred.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, yeah, And that's in your neighborhood on a day
to day basis. They're not going off from nine to
five going to a job. They're hanging around not doing much.
Let's keep rolling here. Let me start it off with
Matt in Dorchester. Matt, you were first. Go ahead, Matt.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
How you doing, Dan?
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Uh? Yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
I've been living in the South Bay area for like
two years now, and I think the solution is playing
closed officers. I just don't think that having, you know,
a couple uniformed police officers sitting on their phones in
their car is deterring anything. I think if you had,
if you gave me ten to fifteen playing closed officers,
we go out there every day and we, you know,
(12:27):
stop stop the problem. As the source we we take
go down on the crackers, I mean on the uh
you know, the drug dealers and the uh you know,
focus on them and get them out of there. I
think that'd be very easy to do. I think they're
obvious who they are. They're they're dressed in nice clothes,
there's a you know, a group of junkies standing around them.
(12:48):
I think the solution is plane closed officers, undercover officers
that are in there every day, ten to fifteen of them,
I know, you know, resources might be an issue, but
like that's the solution for you.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Well the problem, you know, Andrew, not only do you
need resources, but you need the the intent of the
leadership of the city and of the police department. I
don't think the police department as it's currently led, or
the city boss that is currently led, has an appetite
to appetite to do that, because obviously that is a
(13:18):
pretty clear solution in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
They don't. I don't believe they They haven't shy. I
don't want to talk about what anyone believes. They have
not displayed any any desire to do it.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yeah, I will say one thing that I'm not. I'm
not defending the status quo. But you know, right now,
people go in, they get arrested, they get right back
out on the street. So we need we need to
reform the courts. We need to work with d A.
Hayden and potentially Nick Collins on a legislative solution.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
We're gonna, I promise you, we're going to get to that.
But I want to again get a couple of folks
a chance here to to talk about this. Let me
let me get one more before the break. Matt, I
agree with you, but I just don't think the folks
who are in the position to uh to implement that idea.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
We've proposed warrant sweeps and it's fallen on deaf years
every day, every day. You don't even need to catch them.
They can be arrested just on their outstanding warrants.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Matt Man, I appreciate you call so much. I really
do appreciate it. Thank you. Yeah, we'll keep we'll keep
in front of this story for you. Okay, thank you.
Let me go to Steven Cambridge. Steve, you are next
on nice.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Andrew.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
Yes, the question is really what do you do with
these people? And this is a question that I think
has civil liberties questions involved, that has mental health questions involved,
and it's on a national level. But I mean, right now,
you can pick these people up, but if they're just
back on the street the next day, is really no
(15:00):
point in doing that. What do you do with these people?
Speaker 3 (15:04):
So, Dan, should I talk about it now?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Well, unfortunately we're so close. I'll tell you what we're
going to do. Steve, do me a favorite, Andrew, Andrew.
Let's hit the highlights of it and when we come
back on the other side, we can flesh it out.
There's an idea that that Andrew is very fond of
that I believe is being proposed by State Senator Nick Collins,
(15:27):
one political leader that actually thinks not about the problem,
but he thinks about how to solve the problem. Andrew,
we got a couple of minutes here, sketch it out
and we'll fill it in after the newsbreak. Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Great. So the idea is that you get people into
comprehensive treatment, not just detox, because letting them out after
detox doesn't do anything. Comprehensive treatment that looks at why
they became indicted with there may be many reasons for that,
and then diagnoses and treats that. And then after you
(16:05):
do that, you've got to set them up for success.
So set them up with training for jobs that they
can actually get. I've spoken to many of the some
people that are well on their way to recovery. Some
of them become dog trainers or become one person is
working as a chef in a restaurant, another work one
is working in whole foods as a baker. So these
(16:26):
people can produce, you know, become very productive members of society.
But they need that help to get off the street
and into the places, and they need a place to
do it. And it's been a challenge to find those places.
But Nick Collins has, you know, working together. I mean,
(16:48):
he's got a great idea of where that could go.
That wouldn't really garner any residential pushback because no one
wants that in their neighborhood either.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Andrew, let's do very quickly, and emphasis on quickly, sketch
it out for Steve. I want Steve to react, and
then I got to go to a newscast. This is
why I didn't want to do it before the newscast, Andrew.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
But what you do with those people who do not
want to cooperate, who do not want to get off drugs?
What do you do with those people hard of war?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
This is where you need legislative help. So right now
you can use something called Section thirty five and force treatment,
but that's only good for ninety days and it is
not long enough to get them treatment. This is where
we need the legislature to maybe help and and change
some of the laws, or you know, allow for longer
(17:41):
civil commitments, or we're.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Going to do folkus. I got to break the news, Steve.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
You know Steve, Dan, thank you, Andrew.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I got to break. If you want to hold on, Steve,
I could, I could pick up on the other side.
I'd like to hold on because Andrew does have a
plan that Nick Collins has developed. We will talk about
that right after the news at the bottom of the
hour here on night Side. It is a very interesting
idea and it is coming from State Senator Nick Collins.
(18:10):
Back on Nightside with my guest Andrew Brand and we
will flesh this out. If you like to join the
conversation six one seven, six one seven nine.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
All right, we're talking about mass and casts, a problem
which no one has solved, uh, and a problem which
the mayor has expressed. I don't know how you would
describe it, but she did have some some comments. Uh, Rob,
(18:47):
play for me, cut eh. First of all, play cut h.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
My eyes are on massive casts every single day. We
are committed to We have talked about all various ways
that we're meeting with residents in this area. The individuals
that you mentioned are in constant conversations with the city,
monthly task force meetings, weekly meetings with Boston Police and
the local coalition. We have daily coordinated response team meetings
every single morning, and so we're reviewing all that is
(19:16):
taking place, finding ways where we can do better. This
new partnership is one example where we're not going to
be satisfied until we really make sure that every single
part of the city is safe.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
People have the resources that they need, lots of meetings,
lots of partnerships focusing on the issue quickly. Your response
to that sort of platitude, Andrew.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
So I personally asked the mayor to look in to
that and to lead the effort with the same zeal
that she led the effort to clean up. She cleaned
up downtown Boston because it was getting a lot of press.
She knew there would be tourists and did it. She
did it in a month. She put the effort in
(20:04):
and she led that effort. Unfortunately, what happened was that
the people, all the people from downtown Boston came back
to this area and she has not displayed the same
level of zeal or anything else to you know, to
help us.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Okay, So, so now that gets us to the idea
that you'd like to talk about and as simply as
you can. You and Nick Collins have talked about something.
You like the idea. I think it's a terrific idea.
It doesn't involve building a bridge back to Quinsy, getting
into court fights for years and years with the city
(20:40):
of Quinsy, whether you could drive through certain sections of
the city. Uh, let's have at it and tell us
what the deal. What the idea is in.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Short, Center collins idea is to buy a decommissioned cruise ship.
They the cruise ship mind, sell them all the time
by a decommissioned cruise ship and turn it into a
Navy mercy ship. And Navy mercy ships have been used
for one hundred and fifty years as floating hospitals, and
(21:11):
you can put the recovery there. The proposal that he
has would house, would would have enough room for four
hundred people. It could be built. You could buy the
ship and refurbish it for sixty million dollars, which is
less than a quarter of the cost of what it
would cost just to rebuild the bridge. And the estimate
(21:32):
would be that you could run the program for roughly
twenty five million dollars a year, So you could run
the program for a number of years for less than
the cost of building the bridge or less in the
cost of White Stadium. And you know, if this proposal
is successful, you have the ship. At the end, you
(21:55):
could sell it to someone else, so you're not even
out any money. In the best part about the proposal
is it's a ship. It's going to be in the harbor.
And there's places in the harbor which are already secure
because they bring in customs and all kinds of other stuff,
So there's already tons of security around them, and you
(22:15):
could dock the ship there, so it would not be
nearly as much of a burden on it. It wouldn't
be a burden on any particular neighborhood. And you've already
got built in security, you know, to keep it, to
keep it safe.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
So how much to buy the ship?
Speaker 3 (22:33):
To buy the ship, I think is thirty five million,
and to refurbish it is twenty five million, so it
would be a total of sixty.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Now do you think that Mayor Wu can find that
money in the city budget, you know, or or will
she have to go back up to the legislature and
and seek some seek some funding.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Well, what would would we propose well one, I mean,
White Stadium is over one hundred million, and I'm not
really sure why she's building a stadium for a billionaire
rather than doing this, but that that will leave that
for another day. I don't know where you know, the
the you know, I don't want to propose to like
(23:15):
I said, just did tell her how to how to
spend some of the money. But if she claims she
doesn't have the money. When we proposed another solution at
roughly the same time, it was similar called Recover Boston.
We'd worked with some private foundations which would have donated
a lot of the money, but there has not been
(23:35):
any leadership from this when we and we took it
to the city and try to get the city to
you know, to jump on it, and the mayor wou
did not endorse it at the time. And you know,
it's hard to get a private foundation to get super
excited about donating money to something like this if the
(23:56):
city isn't going to be part of it.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
I certainly get that. Let's get some more callers on
here and find out some of them have jumped on
the line, see if they think this is a good idea.
If nothing else, it will take the problem and isolated
in an area where treatment can be given. The question
that Steve asked at the end of last half hour
was good, and what do you do with the people
(24:20):
who are chronic and just don't want to do it?
There comes a point in time where someone becomes such
a blight on society that they need to face some
jail time, and some serious jail time, and maybe that
will straighten them out and realize they cannot spend the
rest of their life, you know, shooting heroin or fentanyl
or doing crack cocaine on people's front porches. It's just
(24:44):
a front steps. It's just not acceptable in any world
that is realistic.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
But exactly putting people in jail is not the preferred choice.
But if they don't, you know, we're trying to make
treatment available to them, they don't want to do that, then.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I mean, if if someone's a chronic if someone Andrew's
a chronic bank robber, and they rob a bank and
they get caught and they do a little probation, and
they rob another bank, they get caught and they get
a stir in warning and then they rob At some point,
if you become a chronic criminal, or if you become
a chronic, chronic blight on society and you're not willing
(25:23):
to accept accept treatment and help, there's a you know,
there's not a problem with that. Yeah, I don't need
to let me go to let me go to Brian
in Boston. Brian, you were next on Nice Side with Andrew. Brian.
Speaker 7 (25:35):
Brian, Hi, good to talk to you again.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Hi, Brian. If you want to identify yourself, go right ahead.
Speaker 7 (25:43):
Oh it's Brian McCarter. We've I've been on your show before.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
You live in the South End and you're you're you're
an absolute advocate for sanity in the South End. Go
right ahead, Brian.
Speaker 7 (25:56):
Yeah, if anything and being too kind. You know, we've
had violent assaults in the area. We've had home breaking.
The situation is in multiple home breakings, multiple assaults. You
know that was assault children and a reporter for the.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Globe who was investigating this issue was assaulted along with
two residents. You know, a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
That story will be in the Boston Globe printed edition.
It's online right now. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
So that's how bad it is. You know, you go
to investigate the situation and you find out firsthand that yeah,
it's as bad as the residents are saying.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
I believe that the cameraman was also assault The photographer
was also assaulted, and we lost a What what was
the valuation of the lens that was taken from him?
Speaker 3 (26:51):
I think I heard it was about two thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Okay, So you people were witnessed to this is what
you're telling me? Yes, yeah, well you you were. You
were almost victims of it. But go ahead, Brian, what
do you think of the idea of the ship that
State Senator Nick Collins has proposed?
Speaker 3 (27:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (27:12):
I love this ship. It's set to be twenty five
percent you know, the initial detox that everyone's familiar with beds,
and then seventy five percent mental health beds because that's usually,
you know, at once they get people off drives, they
have to deal with mental health issues. Medically assisted treatment
has upwards of sixty percent success rates. If we can
(27:33):
start doing this longer term stuff, so this really could work.
We could give people better than a coin flip at
getting off of drugs if we can get the ship going.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Has anything like this been done in any other major
American city? Because it seems to me it sounds like
a no brainer, and it also is something that is
financially feasible.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Has been done in Kentucky and you know, outskirts of Cincinnati,
but all through Kentucky because it was so successful in
the outskirts of Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
So was this on a was this on a ship
or on no?
Speaker 3 (28:06):
No, No, the ship part is specific to Boston. But
the idea of getting people into recovery and treating them
until they're well has been done in Kentucky. It's a
little bit different in that case. They were they were
in jail, they were waiting for their trial, and they
(28:26):
had a choice of either just sitting in jail and
waiting for their trial or going to a completely different
part of the jail which was only people like this
and getting treatment. And it had it had an eighty
percent success rate.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Yeah, they had what they called hill billy heroin down
there in the early two thousands, which was some of
this you know, cheap synthetic drugs that that that drapped
a lot of people, a lot of people. Uh, let
me ask you this, Brian. You know the neighborhood very well.
Of course Andy does as well, But what do you
(29:03):
think the folks in the South End would like to
see do you think that, I mean, obviously they are
going to be thrilled with this idea with some sort
of a ship at Boston Harbor, I assome, Oh, yeah.
Speaker 7 (29:16):
I think we really understand it better than anybody that
you know, every time you call the police, they essentially
just move people around, so you know, there's not enough.
The police can only handle five or so people arrested,
which are all deferred to treatment of a day, like
you know, you need eighty five a day. And so
until we have a like a dedicated facility to detox
at scale, we're never going to solve the drug crisis
(29:38):
or the safety crisis.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
How long would it take to this to actually get
off operation between buying the ship, you know, remodeling the ship.
What are we talking about? A couple of years? It
could be quicker.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Thinks it can be done in three months or less. Wow,
And I didn't mention this before, but so Santator Collins
used to be in the Navy. He worked with the
Navy and MIT, So this proposal is not something that
just he just invented himself. This proposal has been written
by a partnership of MIT and the Navy.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, well, the Mercy ships around the world treat you know,
serious diseases and other contents around the world as well.
Brian is always thank you for your your dedication to this.
I know that it impacts you and your family directly,
and I just want you to know we'd like we
will continue to support you on this, So please thanks
(30:35):
for me on absolutely anytime. We'll have you back. Before
we go to break here, I just want to remind
everybody of this new cool way for you to become
a part of our Nightside broadcast. You can utilize our
talk back feature on the Arhat Radio app. Make sure
you download and have the free iHeartRadio app. While you're
listening to Nightside Live on WBC News Radio, you can
(30:55):
tap the red microphone talkback button in the top right
corner to send us your personalized audio message and we'll
play it back on Nightside. It's that simple. Once again,
hit that red microphone button in the top right corner
of the app. Ball listening to Nightside or during the day,
you can do it as well, send us your audio message.
It can be a compliment, can be a criticism, it
can be a constructive criticism. It's got to be done.
(31:16):
In about thirty seconds, and you got to keep it clean.
We'd love to hear from you. Send us your message.
We'll be back with my guest and the brand, Andrew
Brand of the South End, talking about the continuing problem
of mass and casts back right after this.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
You're on Nightside with Dan Ray's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Okay, we're going to try to get as many callers
in as we can here for Andrew Brand. Let me
go to Tanya in Boston. Tanya, you are next on Nightside.
Speaker 8 (31:43):
Welcome, thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
So.
Speaker 8 (31:47):
I had some comments and then probably a question. I'm
an all for getting treatment for folks because that's what's needed.
But a huge question that comes to mind is that
a lot of people that are there are not from Boston.
So how do we find out and have other communities help,
(32:09):
our cities or states helped to pay for this ship
to be docked somewhere to get folks treatment that they need.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Well, I don't know that you. I don't know you
can do a census of who's there and then allocated
I've never heard of anything like that, Dania. Obviously the
state could contribute some funds, but it is right now unfortunately,
whether we like it or not. A problem that exists
geographically in Boston and it's impacting the South End. Do
(32:40):
you live near mass and Cast per chance or no?
Speaker 8 (32:43):
Here I live in Dorchester, in one of the Dorchester
so I know mass and Casts that's been migrating for
a number of years. It's migrated through Roxbury's migrating up
through Upper Dorchester, not just South End. So it's not
just in South End. It's migrating US.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
It's migrating.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
It's the Boston.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
It's it's a it's a Boston problem. But again, Donia,
I don't want to get bogged down in you know,
there's three people from Wisconsin who were there. They're not
going to be able to do a census. I uh,
the and and the idea is there's a Boston problem.
It's like when there's a snowstorm in Boston, the streets
have to get plowed, whether the people who are coming in.
I just I just think that's a diversion that is
(33:32):
going to only take people away from a solution. That's
my opinion. Andrew agree to disagree with that both.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
So I I agree with it that you know, when
you asked about the meetings, I believe the point of
the meetings is to just defer working on the problem,
just meet meet about it forever. You know, Michelle Woo's
meetings that you talk about. But one of the city councilors,
you know, Counselor Fitzgerald, has proposed a voluntary proposed you know,
(34:05):
fun for for people, and they do do a census.
So there's a proposal out there. I don't think that
we should let that be a barrier. Boston created the
problem with its policies. Boston needs to fix the problem.
Maybe the state can help. We know we have we
we know that we have private foundations that are willing
(34:27):
to help. But the mayor has to take the lead
on this, and up until now she has not done it.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
All right, Daniel, I hate to do this to you,
but I got four three other callers.
Speaker 8 (34:37):
No, it's totally okay. I'm glad to thank thanks for.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Throwing a different idea out there. I think this idea
of the boat has really helped, potentially really good for
every neighborhood in Boston.
Speaker 8 (34:47):
On the shoe, I know, I know, I think it
would be a great idea to because I want people
to get treatment.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
No sure, of course, I'm not looking to throw people
in jail, but I'm saying that people refuse treatment, and
particularly if they're mental health issues and they're breaking into
people's houses. Unfortunately that is the last resort, but that
the resort needs to be there. Thanks Tanya, Let's keep rolling. Okay,
I'm going to try to get quickly here if I
can for a couple of experienced callers, Mike and Beverly.
(35:16):
Can you be quick for me, Mike, I got two
more behind you.
Speaker 5 (35:19):
Yeah, yeah, you know, yeah, Mike and Belly, and know
those are my I'm an Anakan recovery and those are
my friends, brothers, uncles, cousins.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Button and I can't do it in thirty seconds, Dan,
so I'll give you money for on a later date.
But treatment and Shriff's Campy don't want to favorite treatment.
Speaker 9 (35:36):
That's the problem.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
Okay, sure enough.
Speaker 8 (35:39):
Now that's not wanting to three days spin drives.
Speaker 6 (35:41):
That don't work with three day spin drives, and they.
Speaker 8 (35:43):
Don't treat crack cocaine.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
They said it's no treatment.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
For crack cocaine.
Speaker 9 (35:47):
But anyway, I'm not gonna Okay, Mike.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
That's okay, you know again, we can do more on this,
and we can do more just on the whole issue
of problems. We've done stuff on on addiction.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
No one wants to see people addicted. I congratulate you
on having got out of your addiction. I have lots
of friends in your situation. So my hat's off to you.
Thank you much, mine too, Thank thank you, Mike, appreciate it.
Jeff and Lowell. Jeff want to try to get you
in one more in Please go ahead, Jeff.
Speaker 9 (36:15):
Good evening, gentlemen. Thank you so much for having this
subject on your station this evening. You're welcome living in Lowell.
I see this every day. And if you're talking one
hundred or two hundred people over there at Mass and Cass,
we've got that and more right here in the city.
And I don't know that there is an answer to this.
The politicians shy away from it. Our city council is
(36:39):
half of them want to help them. They leave them
on the streets, they defecate in the storefronts. You can't
win to market basket over here on the other side
of the bridge without being confronted by them. It's a
disaster and having a ship. That's very sad that we
have to think of something like that. That the mayor
(37:01):
of Boston who should be taking care of this. Now
you're going to ask her for help with this ship.
She doesn't seem interested. They clean it out once a year,
they come back and it just it's a revolving door.
These people are criminals, they're vagrants, thief all right, dealers,
go right ahead, sir.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Well, Jeff, I just wish you called earlier, because I
got one more person who also called laid So that's
all right.
Speaker 9 (37:26):
It's a wonderful show.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
And contact me and we'll do something on Lowell. Okay,
we'll help you.
Speaker 9 (37:31):
We need it, all right, just contact you, my friend.
Good luck to the gentlemen with all the vagrants.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Good okay, thanks John, hang on there and Jeff rob
will give you my direct line. Okay, last caller, Jeff
and Abington. Jeff, I do this with some hesitation because
we only got about thirty seconds for you. Go ahead.
Speaker 9 (37:50):
Who's feeding these people?
Speaker 3 (37:53):
They're private charities at in the city of Boston.
Speaker 9 (37:57):
Stop feeding them. They'll go away.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
We try. I've made that request, and they won't stop
feeding them.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
No.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Well, there isn't an easy way to get private charities
to stop feeding them. I've I would love to see
them use there's like a million regulations on food and
I would love to see them do that.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
They used to feed cat.
Speaker 9 (38:22):
He's gonna keep coming back. Cut off their food supply.
You'll get rid of them pretty quick.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
All right, Thank you, Jeff, appreciate it. I'm sorry we've
been there, have more time for you. Look, Andrew, this
is a real dilemma. I appreciate you taking the time tonight.
Keep us posted. Okay. My my heart goes out to
the neighborhood, to the families that are trying to make
that neighborhood great again. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Thank you. I'd love to be back.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
All right, you will. Thanks Andrew, have a great night.
Well we get back. We're going to talk about some
big doings on the economy in the next few days.
Tomorrow you get the big Federal Reserve, and I'm going
to talk with one of my favorite guests, Boston University
Business School professor Greg Staller. He's a professor at bu's
Questrum School of Business. I'm going to talk about tariffs,
(39:12):
going to talk about trade deals, and going to talk
about the Federal Reserve. Stay there, it's not going to
be wonky. You're going to understand that back on nightside,
It's night Side with Dan Ray on WVS Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Eighty nine degrees at nine oh seven in Boston. Yikes,
that's as warm as it gets at this hour of
the night. I think we broke a record today. I
know that. Well, they're breaking records all the time at
Masson Cass. This is the longest blight on Boston in
the history of the city. And no group is more
(00:29):
adversely impacted by this blight, the congregation of drug addicts,
homeless people, and Masson Cass than the residents of the
South End of Boston. And for those of you who
do not know, the South End of Boston was a
place that for many, many years was not a great
(00:50):
place to live, and over the course of investments by
people and construction by builders, it is now a wonderful
place to live, except for the fact that the folks
who call mass and Cast home spend a lot of
time roaming the neighborhood and disturbing the peace and quiet
(01:15):
enjoyment of that neighborhood with us now is someone who
has spoken out very strongly, Andrew Bryant. Andrew, as the
co president of the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association. Andrew,
I talked to you today for forty five minutes, and
I get a pretty clear impression that you have finally
had it here, that you've got to the point of
(01:38):
utter disgust with what's going on.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yes, that's true, Dan, thank you, and thank you for
having me on my pleasure. We you know, we've I've
been meeting personally with Mayor wou and the Boston Police
for a long time, but quite a bit over the
last few months for a variety of reasons that we
(02:02):
can get into during the day. But this sort of
culminated last week when we had a meeting with the
Boston Police. It was a neighborhood meeting where neighborhoods, the
neighbors were joining in. The Boston Police were there, and
during the meeting, I started the meeting by asking for
(02:22):
more resources and just saying that they're just warn't enough police,
you know, in the area to do what we needed
to do. One of the residents, in fact, Brian McCarter,
who was on your show a few months ago, he
called in and said that he reported a man with
(02:43):
a bat and a man with a ship. I think
he called it a stabby thing, and he reported that
to nine one one, and it took forty five minutes
for the police to respond. And when we asked the
police about it, they said, you know, well, we had
a lot of calls and we we just couldn't prioritize it,
(03:06):
which so exactly makes the point that we need more police.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah. I mean if you, well, yeah, if you if
you had called it and said I just saw someone
spit on the sidewalk, or or or I saw you know,
someone litter, I can understand why you might prioritize that call.
But somebody with a baseball bat and somebody with a
ship you're going to forty five minutes. That's absurd, That
is absolutely absurd. The mayor spoke with James Rojas of
(03:36):
w b Z News for about five minutes, and I
listened to all the sound bites and I have some
of them, and I want you to to respond here
a little bit. You have called for you, personally, I believe,
have called for National Guards troops UH up to and
(04:00):
including National Guard soldiers or state police to come and
support Boston police because Boston police don't have enough. This
was the reaction of Mayor Wu to ineffect your call.
I want you to respond to this rob police play
(04:22):
cut number A for my guest, I don't.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Believe we need or should have a military deployment in
our city. I do know that as we are looking
to keep tackling the specific challenges with the OBA crisis
at the national level and how that falls on local communities,
every single day we're doing more and trying something that
brings more resources into the conversation.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
I will say it. You don't have to say it,
and you can disagree with me, but whenever I hear
the mayor talk about anything that is this uncomfortable to her,
it becomes a word salad. You know, military deploy you
were looking for state police, maybe National Guard. That's not
quite military deployment. Military deployment is like tanks and planes.
(05:11):
It's what you do in wartime.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Yeah, so let me put that in context. Sure, I
mean you saw the start of it. I'm not going
to go with a two hour meeting, so I'm not
going to recall the whole two hour meeting. But that
was one of the things that really started setting residents off.
It was a zoom meeting, but you could feel the
tension rising. Eventually, the you know, one resident said well,
(05:37):
you know, you don't have enough resources to protect us.
How do we protect ourselves? Should we all go out
and get guns? And you know, the police said, well,
you have the right to do that, and but they actually,
and amazingly to me, they suggested that we should get
pepper spray instead, and they actually told us where to
get it, you know, on the news, which which was
(05:58):
really surprising. But that what it told us, or what
I heard, was your respond we can't help you. We
don't have the resources to protect you. You need, you know,
and we're going to tell you how you can protect yourselves.
I don't think they meant it in a negative way.
I just think they're out out there's just too many
(06:20):
people for how many people the city is allocated. And
at that point I just got exasperated and I said,
you know, well, you know, maybe we should bring in
the you know, the state police, and if they don't
have the resources, maybe we should bring in the National Guard.
So it wasn't Yes, I did say it, but it
wasn't in that context. The context was quite frankly, I
(06:43):
would love for the Boston police to have enough people
to you know, to protect the neighborhood. Quite frankly, you know,
they told us that they don't, and you know that
that's what this was about. You know, the mayor. When
the mayor got rid of the ten she made sure
that there were enough police. She had, you know, multiple
(07:05):
fixed posts and you know, a police a very visible
police van. And it was pretty clear to any addict
that they need they couldn't stay there anymore. They came
to our neighborhood. But you know she's not doing that
for us.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Well, I think that she was eliminating what she perceived
as the political problem of a photograph to be in
the New York Times or something like that. And for
first into the South End. It's difficult. It's more difficult
to measure that and to put that picture in the
South End. But when we get back, I want to
talk about what your neighborhood is undergoing. Meaning people you
(07:45):
wake up in the morning and on your front steps,
you find people who are strong out, You find people
who are doing drugs, hard drugs. You find people who
were doing what nature comes necessary to most people and
if they don't don't have anywhere to live, or they
do what bears do in the woods. I guess it
(08:06):
would be the kindest way to describe it. My guest
is Andy Brand And if you live in the South End,
love to hear from you six one, seven, four, ten thirty.
If you live in another part of the city, and
if you are happy that the mass and cast problem
is not in your neighborhood and you want to advocate
(08:27):
for it to stay there, you're welcome. But more importantly,
if you live in another part of the city and
you empathize with your fellow neighbors in the South End
and fellow residents in Boston, love to hear from as well.
Because this community needs some help. They're not getting it.
That doesn't seem to be anywhere at the top of
the priority list of this administration. The police department pretty
(08:51):
much sounds to me like they're waiving, you know, a
white flag. Larry Calderona, the Boston Police Patrolman's Association, has
told me for years that our police department, or the
city Boston's police department, is understaffed by about one thousand officers,
you know, frontline officers right now. So six one, seven, two, five,
(09:12):
four ten thirty, six one seven, nine, three, one ten
thirty those are the numbers. Give us a call coming
right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on wb Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
My guess is Andrew Brand. He's the co president of
the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association. You've lived in the
South End? How long, Andrew?
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Twenty eight years?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Twenty eight years? Do you have a family?
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Uh, it's just me and my girlfriend. Most of my
family lives out of state.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Okay, what percentage of the the people live in the
South End to have children, little kids running around? I
know it's not a huge number, but it is significant. Nonetheless, right, it's.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Not a each number, but there there at least I
would say twenty families that I know of that that
have kids between one and say six or seven years old.
There's a lot of you know, toddlers and a little
bit older and they have to go to school and
see you know, walk to school and see this. And Dan,
(10:21):
before we you know, before we end the show, I'd
like to make sure we have some time. I'm happy
to talk about the conditions for as long as you want,
but I would also love to we have a we
have proposed a solution, and I would when you were
working with Brian, you know, you were looking for that.
(10:41):
We've proposed a solution a long time ago. Brian was
unaware of it at the time, and I would really
like a chance to discuss it with we will.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
I promise you, I'll give you every opportunity I want
to take. Get a couple of calls in again, just
to flesh out the problem and make people understand that
this is a serious problem. Uh. And it's not being
as a serious problem. But we did talk about that
solution today that you've worked on in conjunction with Center
Nick Collins. I think it's a great idea and I
(11:11):
would love to know if the powers that be have
been consulted about that. But let's let me grab a
couple of phone calls first. Just get people involved in
the conversation so they fully understand. I think everybody understands
what it is like to have I mean, what do
you think the population is? Real? Quick question? Give me
a quick answer. The population of the mass and casts group.
(11:35):
Are we talking about twenty people or two?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
No? No, no, no, I would say, all told, it's
at least one hundred, probably closer to two hundred.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, yeah, And that's in your neighborhood on a day
to day basis. They're not going off from nine to
five going to a job. They're hanging around not doing much.
Let's keep rolling here. Let me start it off with
Matt in Dorchester. Matt, you were first. Go ahead, Matt.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
How you doing, Dan?
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Uh? Yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
I've been living in the South Bay area for like
two years now, and I think the solution is playing
closed officers. I just don't think that having, you know,
a couple uniformed police officers sitting on their phones in
their car is deterring anything. I think if you had,
if you gave me ten to fifteen playing closed officers,
we go out there every day and we, you know,
(12:27):
stop stop the problem. As the source we we take
go down on the crackers, I mean on the uh
you know, the drug dealers and the uh you know,
focus on them and get them out of there. I
think that'd be very easy to do. I think they're
obvious who they are. They're they're dressed in nice clothes,
there's a you know, a group of junkies standing around them.
(12:48):
I think the solution is plane closed officers, undercover officers
that are in there every day, ten to fifteen of them,
I know, you know, resources might be an issue, but
like that's the solution for you.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Well the problem, you know, Andrew, not only do you
need resources, but you need the the intent of the
leadership of the city and of the police department. I
don't think the police department as it's currently led, or
the city boss that is currently led, has an appetite
to appetite to do that, because obviously that is a
(13:18):
pretty clear solution in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
They don't. I don't believe they They haven't shy. I
don't want to talk about what anyone believes. They have
not displayed any any desire to do it.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yeah, I will say one thing that I'm not. I'm
not defending the status quo. But you know, right now,
people go in, they get arrested, they get right back
out on the street. So we need we need to
reform the courts. We need to work with d A.
Hayden and potentially Nick Collins on a legislative solution.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
We're gonna, I promise you, we're going to get to that.
But I want to again get a couple of folks
a chance here to to talk about this. Let me
let me get one more before the break. Matt, I
agree with you, but I just don't think the folks
who are in the position to uh to implement that idea.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
We've proposed warrant sweeps and it's fallen on deaf years
every day, every day. You don't even need to catch them.
They can be arrested just on their outstanding warrants.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Matt Man, I appreciate you call so much. I really
do appreciate it. Thank you. Yeah, we'll keep we'll keep
in front of this story for you. Okay, thank you.
Let me go to Steven Cambridge. Steve, you are next
on nice.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Andrew.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
Yes, the question is really what do you do with
these people? And this is a question that I think
has civil liberties questions involved, that has mental health questions involved,
and it's on a national level. But I mean, right now,
you can pick these people up, but if they're just
back on the street the next day, is really no
(15:00):
point in doing that. What do you do with these people?
Speaker 3 (15:04):
So, Dan, should I talk about it now?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Well, unfortunately we're so close. I'll tell you what we're
going to do. Steve, do me a favorite, Andrew, Andrew.
Let's hit the highlights of it and when we come
back on the other side, we can flesh it out.
There's an idea that that Andrew is very fond of
that I believe is being proposed by State Senator Nick Collins,
(15:27):
one political leader that actually thinks not about the problem,
but he thinks about how to solve the problem. Andrew,
we got a couple of minutes here, sketch it out
and we'll fill it in after the newsbreak. Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Great. So the idea is that you get people into
comprehensive treatment, not just detox, because letting them out after
detox doesn't do anything. Comprehensive treatment that looks at why
they became indicted with there may be many reasons for that,
and then diagnoses and treats that. And then after you
(16:05):
do that, you've got to set them up for success.
So set them up with training for jobs that they
can actually get. I've spoken to many of the some
people that are well on their way to recovery. Some
of them become dog trainers or become one person is
working as a chef in a restaurant, another work one
is working in whole foods as a baker. So these
(16:26):
people can produce, you know, become very productive members of society.
But they need that help to get off the street
and into the places, and they need a place to
do it. And it's been a challenge to find those places.
But Nick Collins has, you know, working together. I mean,
(16:48):
he's got a great idea of where that could go.
That wouldn't really garner any residential pushback because no one
wants that in their neighborhood either.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Andrew, let's do very quickly, and emphasis on quickly, sketch
it out for Steve. I want Steve to react, and
then I got to go to a newscast. This is
why I didn't want to do it before the newscast, Andrew.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
But what you do with those people who do not
want to cooperate, who do not want to get off drugs?
What do you do with those people hard of war?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
This is where you need legislative help. So right now
you can use something called Section thirty five and force treatment,
but that's only good for ninety days and it is
not long enough to get them treatment. This is where
we need the legislature to maybe help and and change
some of the laws, or you know, allow for longer
(17:41):
civil commitments, or we're.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Going to do folkus. I got to break the news, Steve.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
You know Steve, Dan, thank you, Andrew.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I got to break. If you want to hold on, Steve,
I could, I could pick up on the other side.
I'd like to hold on because Andrew does have a
plan that Nick Collins has developed. We will talk about
that right after the news at the bottom of the
hour here on night Side. It is a very interesting
idea and it is coming from State Senator Nick Collins.
(18:10):
Back on Nightside with my guest Andrew Brand and we
will flesh this out. If you like to join the
conversation six one seven, six one seven nine.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
All right, we're talking about mass and casts, a problem
which no one has solved, uh, and a problem which
the mayor has expressed. I don't know how you would
describe it, but she did have some some comments. Uh, Rob,
(18:47):
play for me, cut eh. First of all, play cut h.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
My eyes are on massive casts every single day. We
are committed to We have talked about all various ways
that we're meeting with residents in this area. The individuals
that you mentioned are in constant conversations with the city,
monthly task force meetings, weekly meetings with Boston Police and
the local coalition. We have daily coordinated response team meetings
every single morning, and so we're reviewing all that is
(19:16):
taking place, finding ways where we can do better. This
new partnership is one example where we're not going to
be satisfied until we really make sure that every single
part of the city is safe.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
People have the resources that they need, lots of meetings,
lots of partnerships focusing on the issue quickly. Your response
to that sort of platitude, Andrew.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
So I personally asked the mayor to look in to
that and to lead the effort with the same zeal
that she led the effort to clean up. She cleaned
up downtown Boston because it was getting a lot of press.
She knew there would be tourists and did it. She
did it in a month. She put the effort in
(20:04):
and she led that effort. Unfortunately, what happened was that
the people, all the people from downtown Boston came back
to this area and she has not displayed the same
level of zeal or anything else to you know, to
help us.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Okay, So, so now that gets us to the idea
that you'd like to talk about and as simply as
you can. You and Nick Collins have talked about something.
You like the idea. I think it's a terrific idea.
It doesn't involve building a bridge back to Quinsy, getting
into court fights for years and years with the city
(20:40):
of Quinsy, whether you could drive through certain sections of
the city. Uh, let's have at it and tell us
what the deal. What the idea is in.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Short, Center collins idea is to buy a decommissioned cruise ship.
They the cruise ship mind, sell them all the time
by a decommissioned cruise ship and turn it into a
Navy mercy ship. And Navy mercy ships have been used
for one hundred and fifty years as floating hospitals, and
(21:11):
you can put the recovery there. The proposal that he
has would house, would would have enough room for four
hundred people. It could be built. You could buy the
ship and refurbish it for sixty million dollars, which is
less than a quarter of the cost of what it
would cost just to rebuild the bridge. And the estimate
(21:32):
would be that you could run the program for roughly
twenty five million dollars a year, So you could run
the program for a number of years for less than
the cost of building the bridge or less in the
cost of White Stadium. And you know, if this proposal
is successful, you have the ship. At the end, you
(21:55):
could sell it to someone else, so you're not even
out any money. In the best part about the proposal
is it's a ship. It's going to be in the harbor.
And there's places in the harbor which are already secure
because they bring in customs and all kinds of other stuff,
So there's already tons of security around them, and you
(22:15):
could dock the ship there, so it would not be
nearly as much of a burden on it. It wouldn't
be a burden on any particular neighborhood. And you've already
got built in security, you know, to keep it, to
keep it safe.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
So how much to buy the ship?
Speaker 3 (22:33):
To buy the ship, I think is thirty five million,
and to refurbish it is twenty five million, so it
would be a total of sixty.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Now do you think that Mayor Wu can find that
money in the city budget, you know, or or will
she have to go back up to the legislature and
and seek some seek some funding.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Well, what would would we propose well one, I mean,
White Stadium is over one hundred million, and I'm not
really sure why she's building a stadium for a billionaire
rather than doing this, but that that will leave that
for another day. I don't know where you know, the
the you know, I don't want to propose to like
(23:15):
I said, just did tell her how to how to
spend some of the money. But if she claims she
doesn't have the money. When we proposed another solution at
roughly the same time, it was similar called Recover Boston.
We'd worked with some private foundations which would have donated
a lot of the money, but there has not been
(23:35):
any leadership from this when we and we took it
to the city and try to get the city to
you know, to jump on it, and the mayor wou
did not endorse it at the time. And you know,
it's hard to get a private foundation to get super
excited about donating money to something like this if the
(23:56):
city isn't going to be part of it.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
I certainly get that. Let's get some more callers on
here and find out some of them have jumped on
the line, see if they think this is a good idea.
If nothing else, it will take the problem and isolated
in an area where treatment can be given. The question
that Steve asked at the end of last half hour
was good, and what do you do with the people
(24:20):
who are chronic and just don't want to do it?
There comes a point in time where someone becomes such
a blight on society that they need to face some
jail time, and some serious jail time, and maybe that
will straighten them out and realize they cannot spend the
rest of their life, you know, shooting heroin or fentanyl
or doing crack cocaine on people's front porches. It's just
(24:44):
a front steps. It's just not acceptable in any world
that is realistic.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
But exactly putting people in jail is not the preferred choice.
But if they don't, you know, we're trying to make
treatment available to them, they don't want to do that, then.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I mean, if if someone's a chronic if someone Andrew's
a chronic bank robber, and they rob a bank and
they get caught and they do a little probation, and
they rob another bank, they get caught and they get
a stir in warning and then they rob At some point,
if you become a chronic criminal, or if you become
a chronic, chronic blight on society and you're not willing
(25:23):
to accept accept treatment and help, there's a you know,
there's not a problem with that. Yeah, I don't need
to let me go to let me go to Brian
in Boston. Brian, you were next on Nice Side with Andrew. Brian.
Speaker 7 (25:35):
Brian, Hi, good to talk to you again.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Hi, Brian. If you want to identify yourself, go right ahead.
Speaker 7 (25:43):
Oh it's Brian McCarter. We've I've been on your show before.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
You live in the South End and you're you're you're
an absolute advocate for sanity in the South End. Go
right ahead, Brian.
Speaker 7 (25:56):
Yeah, if anything and being too kind. You know, we've
had violent assaults in the area. We've had home breaking.
The situation is in multiple home breakings, multiple assaults. You
know that was assault children and a reporter for the.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Globe who was investigating this issue was assaulted along with
two residents. You know, a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
That story will be in the Boston Globe printed edition.
It's online right now. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
So that's how bad it is. You know, you go
to investigate the situation and you find out firsthand that yeah,
it's as bad as the residents are saying.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
I believe that the cameraman was also assault The photographer
was also assaulted, and we lost a What what was
the valuation of the lens that was taken from him?
Speaker 3 (26:51):
I think I heard it was about two thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Okay, So you people were witnessed to this is what
you're telling me? Yes, yeah, well you you were. You
were almost victims of it. But go ahead, Brian, what
do you think of the idea of the ship that
State Senator Nick Collins has proposed?
Speaker 3 (27:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (27:12):
I love this ship. It's set to be twenty five
percent you know, the initial detox that everyone's familiar with beds,
and then seventy five percent mental health beds because that's usually,
you know, at once they get people off drives, they
have to deal with mental health issues. Medically assisted treatment
has upwards of sixty percent success rates. If we can
(27:33):
start doing this longer term stuff, so this really could work.
We could give people better than a coin flip at
getting off of drugs if we can get the ship going.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Has anything like this been done in any other major
American city? Because it seems to me it sounds like
a no brainer, and it also is something that is
financially feasible.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Has been done in Kentucky and you know, outskirts of Cincinnati,
but all through Kentucky because it was so successful in
the outskirts of Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
So was this on a was this on a ship
or on no?
Speaker 3 (28:06):
No, No, the ship part is specific to Boston. But
the idea of getting people into recovery and treating them
until they're well has been done in Kentucky. It's a
little bit different in that case. They were they were
in jail, they were waiting for their trial, and they
(28:26):
had a choice of either just sitting in jail and
waiting for their trial or going to a completely different
part of the jail which was only people like this
and getting treatment. And it had it had an eighty
percent success rate.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Yeah, they had what they called hill billy heroin down
there in the early two thousands, which was some of
this you know, cheap synthetic drugs that that that drapped
a lot of people, a lot of people. Uh, let
me ask you this, Brian. You know the neighborhood very well.
Of course Andy does as well, But what do you
(29:03):
think the folks in the South End would like to
see do you think that, I mean, obviously they are
going to be thrilled with this idea with some sort
of a ship at Boston Harbor, I assome, Oh, yeah.
Speaker 7 (29:16):
I think we really understand it better than anybody that
you know, every time you call the police, they essentially
just move people around, so you know, there's not enough.
The police can only handle five or so people arrested,
which are all deferred to treatment of a day, like
you know, you need eighty five a day. And so
until we have a like a dedicated facility to detox
at scale, we're never going to solve the drug crisis
(29:38):
or the safety crisis.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
How long would it take to this to actually get
off operation between buying the ship, you know, remodeling the ship.
What are we talking about? A couple of years? It
could be quicker.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Thinks it can be done in three months or less. Wow,
And I didn't mention this before, but so Santator Collins
used to be in the Navy. He worked with the
Navy and MIT, So this proposal is not something that
just he just invented himself. This proposal has been written
by a partnership of MIT and the Navy.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, well, the Mercy ships around the world treat you know,
serious diseases and other contents around the world as well.
Brian is always thank you for your your dedication to this.
I know that it impacts you and your family directly,
and I just want you to know we'd like we
will continue to support you on this, So please thanks
(30:35):
for me on absolutely anytime. We'll have you back. Before
we go to break here, I just want to remind
everybody of this new cool way for you to become
a part of our Nightside broadcast. You can utilize our
talk back feature on the Arhat Radio app. Make sure
you download and have the free iHeartRadio app. While you're
listening to Nightside Live on WBC News Radio, you can
(30:55):
tap the red microphone talkback button in the top right
corner to send us your personalized audio message and we'll
play it back on Nightside. It's that simple. Once again,
hit that red microphone button in the top right corner
of the app. Ball listening to Nightside or during the day,
you can do it as well, send us your audio message.
It can be a compliment, can be a criticism, it
can be a constructive criticism. It's got to be done.
(31:16):
In about thirty seconds, and you got to keep it clean.
We'd love to hear from you. Send us your message.
We'll be back with my guest and the brand, Andrew
Brand of the South End, talking about the continuing problem
of mass and casts back right after this.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
You're on Nightside with Dan Ray's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Okay, we're going to try to get as many callers
in as we can here for Andrew Brand. Let me
go to Tanya in Boston. Tanya, you are next on Nightside.
Speaker 8 (31:43):
Welcome, thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
So.
Speaker 8 (31:47):
I had some comments and then probably a question. I'm
an all for getting treatment for folks because that's what's needed.
But a huge question that comes to mind is that
a lot of people that are there are not from Boston.
So how do we find out and have other communities help,
(32:09):
our cities or states helped to pay for this ship
to be docked somewhere to get folks treatment that they need.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Well, I don't know that you. I don't know you
can do a census of who's there and then allocated
I've never heard of anything like that, Dania. Obviously the
state could contribute some funds, but it is right now unfortunately,
whether we like it or not. A problem that exists
geographically in Boston and it's impacting the South End. Do
(32:40):
you live near mass and Cast per chance or no?
Speaker 8 (32:43):
Here I live in Dorchester, in one of the Dorchester
so I know mass and Casts that's been migrating for
a number of years. It's migrated through Roxbury's migrating up
through Upper Dorchester, not just South End. So it's not
just in South End. It's migrating US.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
It's migrating.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
It's the Boston.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
It's it's a it's a Boston problem. But again, Donia,
I don't want to get bogged down in you know,
there's three people from Wisconsin who were there. They're not
going to be able to do a census. I uh,
the and and the idea is there's a Boston problem.
It's like when there's a snowstorm in Boston, the streets
have to get plowed, whether the people who are coming in.
I just I just think that's a diversion that is
(33:32):
going to only take people away from a solution. That's
my opinion. Andrew agree to disagree with that both.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
So I I agree with it that you know, when
you asked about the meetings, I believe the point of
the meetings is to just defer working on the problem,
just meet meet about it forever. You know, Michelle Woo's
meetings that you talk about. But one of the city councilors,
you know, Counselor Fitzgerald, has proposed a voluntary proposed you know,
(34:05):
fun for for people, and they do do a census.
So there's a proposal out there. I don't think that
we should let that be a barrier. Boston created the
problem with its policies. Boston needs to fix the problem.
Maybe the state can help. We know we have we
we know that we have private foundations that are willing
(34:27):
to help. But the mayor has to take the lead
on this, and up until now she has not done it.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
All right, Daniel, I hate to do this to you,
but I got four three other callers.
Speaker 8 (34:37):
No, it's totally okay. I'm glad to thank thanks for.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Throwing a different idea out there. I think this idea
of the boat has really helped, potentially really good for
every neighborhood in Boston.
Speaker 8 (34:47):
On the shoe, I know, I know, I think it
would be a great idea to because I want people
to get treatment.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
No sure, of course, I'm not looking to throw people
in jail, but I'm saying that people refuse treatment, and
particularly if they're mental health issues and they're breaking into
people's houses. Unfortunately that is the last resort, but that
the resort needs to be there. Thanks Tanya, Let's keep rolling. Okay,
I'm going to try to get quickly here if I
can for a couple of experienced callers, Mike and Beverly.
(35:16):
Can you be quick for me, Mike, I got two
more behind you.
Speaker 5 (35:19):
Yeah, yeah, you know, yeah, Mike and Belly, and know
those are my I'm an Anakan recovery and those are
my friends, brothers, uncles, cousins.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Button and I can't do it in thirty seconds, Dan,
so I'll give you money for on a later date.
But treatment and Shriff's Campy don't want to favorite treatment.
Speaker 9 (35:36):
That's the problem.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
Okay, sure enough.
Speaker 8 (35:39):
Now that's not wanting to three days spin drives.
Speaker 6 (35:41):
That don't work with three day spin drives, and they.
Speaker 8 (35:43):
Don't treat crack cocaine.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
They said it's no treatment.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
For crack cocaine.
Speaker 9 (35:47):
But anyway, I'm not gonna Okay, Mike.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
That's okay, you know again, we can do more on this,
and we can do more just on the whole issue
of problems. We've done stuff on on addiction.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
No one wants to see people addicted. I congratulate you
on having got out of your addiction. I have lots
of friends in your situation. So my hat's off to you.
Thank you much, mine too, Thank thank you, Mike, appreciate it.
Jeff and Lowell. Jeff want to try to get you
in one more in Please go ahead, Jeff.
Speaker 9 (36:15):
Good evening, gentlemen. Thank you so much for having this
subject on your station this evening. You're welcome living in Lowell.
I see this every day. And if you're talking one
hundred or two hundred people over there at Mass and Cass,
we've got that and more right here in the city.
And I don't know that there is an answer to this.
The politicians shy away from it. Our city council is
(36:39):
half of them want to help them. They leave them
on the streets, they defecate in the storefronts. You can't
win to market basket over here on the other side
of the bridge without being confronted by them. It's a
disaster and having a ship. That's very sad that we
have to think of something like that. That the mayor
(37:01):
of Boston who should be taking care of this. Now
you're going to ask her for help with this ship.
She doesn't seem interested. They clean it out once a year,
they come back and it just it's a revolving door.
These people are criminals, they're vagrants, thief all right, dealers,
go right ahead, sir.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Well, Jeff, I just wish you called earlier, because I
got one more person who also called laid So that's
all right.
Speaker 9 (37:26):
It's a wonderful show.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
And contact me and we'll do something on Lowell. Okay,
we'll help you.
Speaker 9 (37:31):
We need it, all right, just contact you, my friend.
Good luck to the gentlemen with all the vagrants.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Good okay, thanks John, hang on there and Jeff rob
will give you my direct line. Okay, last caller, Jeff
and Abington. Jeff, I do this with some hesitation because
we only got about thirty seconds for you. Go ahead.
Speaker 9 (37:50):
Who's feeding these people?
Speaker 3 (37:53):
They're private charities at in the city of Boston.
Speaker 9 (37:57):
Stop feeding them. They'll go away.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
We try. I've made that request, and they won't stop
feeding them.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
No.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Well, there isn't an easy way to get private charities
to stop feeding them. I've I would love to see
them use there's like a million regulations on food and
I would love to see them do that.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
They used to feed cat.
Speaker 9 (38:22):
He's gonna keep coming back. Cut off their food supply.
You'll get rid of them pretty quick.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
All right, Thank you, Jeff, appreciate it. I'm sorry we've
been there, have more time for you. Look, Andrew, this
is a real dilemma. I appreciate you taking the time tonight.
Keep us posted. Okay. My my heart goes out to
the neighborhood, to the families that are trying to make
that neighborhood great again. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Thank you. I'd love to be back.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
All right, you will. Thanks Andrew, have a great night.
Well we get back. We're going to talk about some
big doings on the economy in the next few days.
Tomorrow you get the big Federal Reserve, and I'm going
to talk with one of my favorite guests, Boston University
Business School professor Greg Staller. He's a professor at bu's
Questrum School of Business. I'm going to talk about tariffs,
(39:12):
going to talk about trade deals, and going to talk
about the Federal Reserve. Stay there, it's not going to
be wonky. You're going to understand that back on nightside,
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