Boston Police Commissioner: "We hope it snows every day!"
BOSTON - As Boston digs out from yet another snowstorm, the city's police commissioner is looking on the bright side and says there's at least one advantage that comes with crippling winter weather: drop in crime.
During a news conference held Monday by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and other city officials, a news reporter asked whether there had been any notable reduction in reported crime in the city due to the weather.
"[The police commissioner] has done an incredible job, particularly in the last 13 days with crime in our city," Walsh said with a laugh, before handing off the microphone to Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, who followed up by joking, "I hope it snows every day!"
"Obviously, you know, things have quieted down," Evans added on a more serious note. "We don't have as many people out as we normally do and we have seen a good reduction [in crime]."
Boston has been hit with three record-breaking storms in the past two weeks which have dumped 5.5 feet of snow on the ground. Another storm is expected to hit the city Thursday.
The wicked winter weather has caused schools to be closed, trains and subways to be shut down, dozens of flights at Logan Airport to be cancelled and, according to Evans, criminals to stay indoors.
Boston Police Officer Rachel McGuire told 48 Hours' Crimesider on Tuesday that while the department didn't have any specific statistics to share, snow and cold weather tend to decrease crime levels in the city.
"The snow and cold forces more people to stay indoors, which often decreases 911 calls for service," she said.
In at least two cases, snow has actually helped police in the New England-area make arrests. On Monday, authorities followed footprints in the snow to catch a suspect in a robbery of a bar in Worcester, just an hour outside of Boston. Also Monday, a similar arrest was made in nearby Framingham when authorities there followed footprints in the snow to apprehend a man suspected in a string of car break-ins.
