►
Description
Public Health, Homelessness & Recovery Hearing - Docket #1033, humanitarian crisis at Mass/Cass
A
A
Welcome
everybody.
Thank
you
for
being
here
good
morning.
My
name
is
Erin
Murphy
I
Am,
the
chair
of
the
Committee
on
Public,
Health,
homelessness
and
Recovery.
I
want
to
remind
you
that
this
public
hearing
is
being
recorded
and
broadcast
live
on
Xfinity
8,
RCN,
82
and
FiOS
964,
and
streamed
on
www.boston.gov
backslash,
City,
Dash,
Council,
Dash
TV.
A
Please
silence
your
phones
and
other
devices.
We
will
also
take
public
testimony
and
would
re
appreciate
it
if
you
would
sign
in
to
testify
or
to
register
your
attendance
at
the
door.
If
you
haven't
already,
if
you're
a
panelist
you
don't
have
to,
we
have
your
name
here.
We
will
have
two
sets
of
panels
at
the
start
of
your
testimony.
Please
state
your
name
address
and
affiliation.
Today's
hearing
is
on
dockets
1033
and
docket
one
two
eight
zero.
A
A
We
are
going
to
I'm
going
to
just
give
a
quick
opening
statement.
To
summarize
the
hearing
today.
I
know
that
we
joined
two
dockets
together
in
my
committee,
because
we
do
feel
like
many
of
the
same
people
have
the
expertise
and
understanding.
So
we
felt
that
there's
no
need
to
call
you
back
for
a
second
hearing
and
it
may
even
be
a
good
idea
to
kind
of
talk
about
the
two
at
the
same
time.
A
So
since
the
sudden
closure
of
the
city's
Long
Island
recovery
campus
in
Fall
of
2014,
the
opiate
crisis
and
homelessness
have
driven
people
to
the
intersection
of
Mass,
Ave
and
malnia
Cass
Boulevard.
Where
those
battling
substance
use
disorder
can
seek
methadone
treatment
or
a
bed
that
is
at
a
city-run
shelter.
A
Although
plans
have
been
put
in
place
this
past
year,
the
violence
and
the
illegal
activity
still
continue
to
plague
this
area.
Earlier
this
month,
Boston
police
working
with
the
Suffolk
DA's
office,
conducted
an
undercover
operation
that
resulted
in
the
arrest
of
dozen
men
charged
with
soliciting
sex.
A
A
A
My
objective
for
this
hearing
is
to
address
the
humanitarian
crisis
at
this
spot
and
evaluate
whether
we
are
doing
everything
possible
in
order
to
solve
this
crisis.
The
magnitude
of
this
crisis
requires
that
we
put
politics
aside
and
we
work,
alongside
each
other,
to
offer
numerous
options
to
help
those
suffering
from
mental
health
and
substance
use
disorder.
A
I
am
going
to
just
quickly
read
and
then
get
right
to
the
first
panelists
testimony,
but
Mary
Lou
suttas
had
sent
along
a
letter
that
I
do
just
want
to
read
into
the
record
and
we
have
been
joined
by
our
co-sponsor
councilor
Frank
Baker.
Thank
you,
dear
Mary
Wu.
As
you
know,
since
June
2021,
the
baker
Polito
Administration,
has
provided
and
continues
to
provide
leadership
and
ongoing
support
to
the
city
of
Boston's
effort
to
address
the
humanitarian
crisis
at
melnia,
Cass,
Boulevard
and
Mass
Ave
known
as
massencast.
A
The
Commonwealth,
through
funding
appropriated
by
the
legislature,
has
to
date
invested
over
40
million
dollars
to
address
the
crisis,
ranging
from
harm
reduction,
low
threshold,
housing
and
shelters.
Outreach
programs
and
clinical
treatment
services
and
last
week
released
a
new
Statewide
10
million
procurement
to
establish
temporary
low
threshold
housing
for
homeless,
in
housing,
unstable
individuals
with
substance
use
disorder.
The
vast
majority
of
these
initiatives
have
been
conducted
in
close
partnership
with
City
staff,
including
the
mayor's
office
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
the
mayor's
office
of
housing,
the
Public
Health
commission
and
the
Office
of
Recovery
Services.
A
The
Commonwealth
also
provides
direct
funding
to
support
City
efforts,
including
the
city's
engagement
Center,
and
syringe
cleanup
programs,
as
the
executive
office
of
Health
and
Human
Services
in
our
Departments
of
public
health
and
mental
health
have
been
working
so
closely
with
the
city
on
these
efforts.
It
was
surprising
to
hear
your
comments
at
a
press
conference
last
week
and
reiterated
again
on
a
radio
program
this
week
that
the
city
is
Seeking,
a
partnership
with
the
state
until
the
city
disbanded,
its
regular
coordinating
meetings
on
mass
and
Cass
in
September
key
staff
from
our
office.
A
In
the
Department
of
Public
Health
were
active
participants.
It
is
also
important
to
clarify
that
of
the
200
temporary
low
threshold
beds
that
the
city
purports
to
have
stood
up.
95
of
those
beds
were
in
fact
initiated
by
indirectly
funded
by
the
Commonwealth,
with
three
providers:
Pine
Street
Inn,
Victory
programs
and
Commonwealth
Care
Alliance.
The
balance
was
stood
up
by
the
city,
including
at
The
Roundhouse.
This
Administration
has
been
actively
expanding,
both
temporary
low
threshold,
housing
and
shelter
sites,
as
well
as
permanent
low
threshold
housing
across
the
state,
including
in
Boston.
A
A
It's
just
a
breakdown
of
more
of
the
money
that
the
state
has
spent,
but
I'll
make
sure
that
that
is
public
in
August
Governor
Baker
filed
a
request
for
20
million
to
expand
additional
Regional
low
threshold,
housing
for
homeless
and
housing,
unstable
individuals
with
substance
use
disorder.
This
funding
remains
pending
before
the
legislator
and
the
city
has
urged
to
join
us
in
advocating
for
its
Swift
passage.
My
office
has
also
shared
the
blueprint
that
we
developed
to
implement
the
cottage
community
at
Shattuck
with
the
city
as
well
as
other
municipalities.
A
This
Cottage
Community
was
the
first
to
be
developed
in
the
Northeast
and
is
an
initiative
model
Innovative
model
that
can
be
replicated
and
funded
by
the
city
of
Boston.
The
Administration
has
been,
and
continues
to
be,
a
very
willing
partner
in
this
crisis,
but
at
this
point,
more
work
must
be
done
by
the
city
of
Boston,
including
leveraging
the
nearly
5
million
of
the
18
million
anticipated
and
opioid
settlement
funds
to
build
trust
and
help
people
receive
the
housing
care
and
support
to
find
the
pathway
to
recovery.
A
This
humanitarian
crisis
that
exists
in
the
areas
exasperated
by
individuals
preying
upon
vulnerable
people
and
we
urge
you
to
pursue
criminal
investigations
in
community
policing
efforts,
so
everyone's
rights
are
protected,
sincerely
Mary,
Lou,
SARS,
sorry
that
was
long,
but
I
did
think
that
was
just
important
to
State
and
I
am
going
to
go
before
we
have
opening
statements
from
our
colleagues
and
thank
you.
We've
also
been
joined
by
councilor
Coletta
from
district
one
I'm
going
to
go
right
to
the
first
panel
and
that
is
Tanya
Del
Rio
from
the
director
of
coordinated
response
team.
B
You
thank
you
chair
Murphy
and
members
of
the
city
council.
As
you
know,
the
city
is
working
constantly
to
connect
people
to
who
frequent
the
area
at
massancast,
with
the
appropriate
Services
their
support
for
to
support
their
health
and
their
well-being.
This
includes
emergency
medical
attention,
substance
use,
disorder,
treatment,
shelter,
housing
navigation,
amongst
other
needs
that
they
have.
B
B
B
Dr
jacobsu
today
is
going
to
provide
more
information
about
outcomes
and
lesson
learned
from
initiatives
led
by
the
Public
Health
commission,
but
I
will
share
with
you
some
highlights,
especially
from
the
low
threshold
housing
effort,
real
quick.
We
have
445
people,
who've
been
served
through
the
six
sites
in
Boston,
so
43
people
have
moved
on
to
permanent
housing
and
187
people
are
currently
residing
on
the
sites
out
of
those
187.
People
about
49
of
them
are
engaged
in
substance
use,
disorder,
treatment
through
medication,
assistance
and
35
are
receiving
non-medication
treatment.
B
B
In
our
estimation,
this
model
is
working
and
the
mayor
is
eager
to
continue
working
with
our
partners
at
the
state
level
to
scale
this
as
a
Statewide
effort,
so
people
can
have
their
needs
met
closer
to
home
outside
of
the
low
threshold
housing
effort.
The
Public
Health
commission
has
a
Recovery
Services
team
that
is
placing
between
25
and
80
people
in
treatment
any
given
week,
Boston
Police
Department
is
present
every
day
to
respond
to
instances
of
crimes.
The
public
works
department
is
present
in
the
area
18
times
per
week.
B
I
can
go
on,
but
the
takeaway
from
that
part
of
my
testimony
is
to
say
we
are
taking
continuous
action
with
a
strong
sense
of
urgency
as
compared
to
the
situation
the
city
faced
last
year.
We
believe
we're
in
a
better
position
going
into
the
winter.
The
number
of
people
present
in
the
area
which
we
count
every
day
has
been
has
reduced.
Hundreds
of
people,
as
I
mentioned,
have
been
referred
to.
Housing
or
treatment.
B
Agencies
are
starting
to
collaborate,
even
closer
working
working
together
to
reduce
risk
for
people
who
are
vulnerable
through
the
new
mass
and
Cast
hub
table
staff
members
are
creating
trusting
relationships
with
people
every
day
and
encouraging
to
take
steps
towards
recovery.
We
have
momentum,
but
our
work
obviously
is
far
far
from
over.
We
still
consider
the
situation
that
mass
cast
of
Public
Health
and
Public
Safety
emergency.
We
are
keenly
aware
of
the
impact
not
only
on
the
people
facing
housing,
stability,
substance,
use,
mental
health
challenges,
but
also
on
the
broader
community.
B
Really
Madison
cast
is
painful
for
each
and
every
Bostonian,
including
all
of
us.
Our
vision
is
that
every
single
person
who
is
frequenting
the
area
because
they're
in
a
state
of
Crisis
is
has
a
support
system,
a
pathway
and
a
plan
to
stabilize
for
some.
As
chair
Murphy
said,
this
means
seamless
access
to
substance,
use
disorder,
treatment
or
nobody's
falling
through
the
cracks
between
the
different
stages
of
a
continuum
for
others.
It
means
access
to
housing
where
they
can
stabilize
and
chart
that
path
forward.
B
For
others,
it
means
intensive
mental
health
care
and
for
many
it
means
all
of
these
components.
At
the
same
time,
human
beings
are
really
complex.
We
are
all
different.
We
all
have
different
needs.
Different
life
situations,
different
physiologies,
so
I
cannot
stress
enough
that
there
is
no
one-size-fits-all
solution
to
this
challenge.
There
are
only
individual
Pathways
into
safer
and
healthier
situations,
and
we
are
focused
on
helping
people
create
and
shape
these
pathways.
B
We
do
understand
two
topics
that
will
be
discussed
today
are
the
section
35s
as
a
tool
and
the
distribution
of
harm
reduction
supplies.
I'll.
Just
make
a
few
comments
about
that.
My
colleagues
from
the
Boston
Police
Department
emergency
medical
services
are
going
to
share
more
a
little
bit
more
about
the
process,
the
nuts
and
bolts
of
it
and
the
section
35
and
12
statistics
in
the
area.
As
you
know,
oh
you.
B
You
can
I
keep
going.
Thank
you.
I'm
almost
done.
Okay,
I
just
wanted
to
talk
about
this
real,
quick.
It's
important
a
decision
about
involuntary
commitment
under
sections
35
is
Ultimate
ultimately
made
by
a
judge
who's,
considering
all
of
the
factors
that
come
in
front
of
them
for
a
specific
case.
It
is
a
very
delicate
process
that
should
answer
to
individual
circumstances,
and
we
know
that
when
trained
professionals,
family
members,
Physicians
or
other
qualified
people
who
are
making
a
very
difficult
decision
to
request
a
section,
35
commitment
do
not
take
this
decision
lightly.
B
The
threshold
that
needs
to
be
met
is
really
high
for
good
reason:
I'm
not
going
to
read
off
to
you
what
needs
to
be
met,
but
we're
talking
about
serious
evidence
of
threats
or
attempts
of
suicide,
homicidal
Behavior,
other
violent
Behavior
or
very
substantial
risk
to
injury
for
this.
For
the
person,
because
again,
this
must
be
weighed
against
the
question
of
somebody's
Liberty
being
at
stake,
and
so,
however,
temporary
that
might
be
it's
a
serious
matter.
B
In
specific
cases,
we
consider
section
35
to
be
a
critical
and
appropriate
tool,
but
it's
not
an
easy
answer,
or
a
silver
bullet
to
well
to
the
symptoms
of
a
wider
systemic
problem
that
has
many
many
underlying
causes.
There
are
no
easy
solutions
to
a
national
substance,
use
crisis,
the
effects
on
Mental
Health
on
a
population
of
a
global
pandemic
or
even
the
everyday
realities
of
poverty
and
rampant
inequality
in
many
American
cities.
These
are
the
underlying
factors
and
there's
just
not
an
easy
answer
to
that.
B
B
All
of
us
here
mayor's
office,
bphc
BPD,
Emergency,
Services,
Public,
Works,
several
others
departments
we're
all
working
24
7
to
provide
coverage
in
the
area
and
we
have
multiple
units
in
the
Madison
class,
new
New
Market
Square
area,
we're
going
to
continue
to
work
with
a
high
level
of
urgency.
We
do
look
forward
to
hearing
your
feedback
and
your
ideas
and
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
today.
Thank
you.
A
C
Good
morning,
chairperson
Murphy
and
members
of
the
committee,
my
name
is
Dr
basolo
jakutu
I'm,
the
commissioner
of
Public
Health
I'm,
the
executive
director
of
the
Boston
Public
Health,
commission,
I'm
joined
by
Jen
Tracy,
the
director
of
The
Office
of
Recovery
Services
at
Boston,
Public,
Health,
commission
and,
of
course,
Chief
James,
hooley
of
Boston
EMS.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
testify
to
today
under
mayor
was
leadership.
We've
developed
a
collaborative
Public,
Health,
Public
Safety
approach
to
address
substance,
use
disorder
and
unsheltered
Status
throughout
our
city.
C
This
approach
has
led
to
an
improvement
in
the
conditions
at
mass
and
cast
within
the
last
year,
as
has
been
described
by
Tanya
Del
Rio.
Some
of
this
progress
is
quite
evident
on
the
street.
If
you
drive
by,
there
are
fewer
people
congregating
in
the
area
and
there's
no
entrenched
encampments
such
as
we
saw
in
the
past,
but
what
I
would
like
to
do
is
is
share
some
of
the
accomplishments
that
are
harder
to
see.
C
That
are,
you
know
no
less
important
and
are
of
critical
importance
to
the
folks
who
are
living
out
on
mass
and
Cass.
First,
I'd
like
to
talk
about
harm
reduction
when
people
think
of
harm
reduction,
they
usually
have
this
image
of
needle
exchange.
We
prefer
to
use
the
term
syringe
exchange,
but
harm
reduction
actually
refers
to
a
broad
spectrum
of
strategies,
many
of
which
are
very
clinically
focused
and
designed
to
reduce
the
negative
and
often
life-threatening
consequences
of
substance
use.
C
For
example,
harm
reduction
includes
risk
reduction,
counseling
overdose
prevention
and
Narcan
distribution
and
safe,
syringe
disposal
which
protects
communities
and
as
well
as
many
other
strategies,
I,
think
it's
important
to
emphasize.
That
today
is
December
1st
it's
World
AIDS
day,
and
on
this
day
we
must
acknowledge
that
harm
reduction
is
an
essential
strategy
to
reduce
HIV
transmission,
though
Statewide
new
diagnoses
of
HIV
has
have
decreased.
Hiv
remains
a
significant
concern,
both
locally
Statewide
nationally
and
globally.
C
C
We
also
provide
access
to
HIV
testing
and
re-engage
individuals
who
have
been
disengaged
from
care
back
into
care
and
treatment
services
and
give
them
access
to
antiretroviral
therapy,
which
is
really
critically
important.
The
evidence
is
clear
that
harm
reduction
Works
to
not
only
significantly
reduce
rates
of
HIV,
but
also
viral
hepatitis,
including
hepatitis,
C
transmission.
C
In
the
absence
of
harm
reduction,
we
would
likely
experience
increases
in
these
viral
infections.
That
would
be
extremely
difficult
for
our
city
to
contain
harm
reduction,
also
increases
entry
into
treatment
and
detox
in
a
large
National
study.
People
who
participated
in
syringe
exchange
were
five
times
more
likely
to
enter
treatment.
Services
for
substance
use
disorder
than
those
who
did
not
use
the
program.
So
that's
a
national
survey,
but
what
about
here
in
Boston
through
our
programming?
More
than
2
200
individuals
experiencing
substance
use
disorder
have
been
referred
for
treatment
since
January
2022..
C
Most
of
these
individuals
were
engaged
in
some
aspect
of
harm
reduction
programming
through
the
Boston
Public
Health
commission
of
note
and
I
think
this
is
also
important.
There
are
also
numerous
studies
demonstrating
the
cost
effectiveness
of
harm
reduction.
Therefore,
the
strategies
that
I
mentioned
also
save
critical,
Health
System
dollars,
I
want
to
emphasize.
This
is
not
just
about
the
quarter
mile
radius
of
mass
and
cast
people
in
many
areas
around
our
city
need
harm
reduction
services
that
have
not
had
Equitable
access.
C
I
think
it's
important
for
us
as
bostonians
to
recognize
just
how
far
Boston
has
come
and
has
really
been
a
leader
in
terms
of
harm
reduction.
Services
across
our
country,
everywhere,
I
go
whenever
I'm
making
presentations
nationally.
It's
clearly
stated
that
Boston
is
one
of
the
few
cities.
That's
gotten
harm
reduction
right.
C
The
access
harm
reduction,
overdose
prevention
and
education
program
or
ahope
has
operated
since
1994,
but
our
work
in
this
area
across
the
city
began
in
the
mid
80s,
just
as
the
HIV
epidemic
burgeoned
in
the
U.S,
taking
the
lives
of
so
many
of
our
most
vulnerable
residents.
As
mentioned,
though,
the
number
of
new
HIV
diagnoses
has
declined.
Statewide,
we
still
must
continue
to
make
progress
in
this
area.
C
I
want
to
say
a
couple
of
other
things
that
I
think
are
relevant
if
I
have
a
few
more
moments.
A
second
important
strategy
that
we
have
implemented
under
the
Wu
Administration
is
decentralization
from
the
mass
cast
area.
I
think
this
is
important
as
we
think
about
equity
and
we
think
about
access
to
services
in
some
communities
that
have
not
had
access.
C
New
initiatives
include
two
neighborhood
engagement
teams
located
in
Nubian
Square
in
East
Boston,
as
well
as
opening
two
low
threshold
daytime
spaces
located
at
Whittier,
Street,
Health
Center
in
Roxbury
and
victory
programs
in
Back
Bay.
We
offer
transportation
to
these
services
and
our
goal
is
to
get
people
to
disaggregate
from
the
area
and
to
provide
services
closer
to
where
people
are
are
located.
C
I
also
want
to
say
that
our
work,
unlike
I,
think
in
years
past,
has
really
been
informed
by
data.
We
conduct
periodic
assessments
of
individuals
in
the
area
to
understand
their
demographics
as
well
as
their
needs.
Our
fall
assessment
reached
153
participants,
which
is
most
of
the
people
who
are
on
the
street
at
the
time
from
these
assessments.
We
know
that
many
of
the
individuals
in
the
area
are
newer.
C
They've
arrived
within
the
last
year
and
they've
arrived
from
other
parts
of
the
state
region
or
country,
and
in
response
we
are
implementing
a
new
case
management
program
which
will
be
individualized
with
a
triage
response
that
will
refer
individuals
into
programming
backward.
They
are
from
and
I
that's
important,
because
we
do
want
to
increase
capacity
elsewhere
outside
of
Boston.
We
want
to
coordinate
services
with
existing
providers
elsewhere,
and
we
certainly
do
want
to
follow
up
with
those
individuals,
but
it's
important
for
us
to
to
do
that
that
approach
this
new
case
management
approach.
C
Lastly,
I
just
want
to
say
a
few
words
about
Equity
throughout
all
of
our
work.
We've
strive
to
maintain
a
focus
on
Equity,
whether
that
be
racial
Equity
or
by
gender
or
other
characteristics
regarding
racial
Equity,
I'm
excited
that
bphc
received
a
three-year
Grant
Federal
Grant
from
the
office
of
my
of
the
office
of
minority
health
and
HHS
focused
on
Community
Driven
approaches
to
address
factors
contributing
to
structural
racism
and
Public
Health.
C
So
in
closing,
the
issues
that
massacasts
are
extremely
complex,
we're
dealing
with
multiple
overlapping
Public
Health
crises
and
every
person's
situation
is
different
when
absolutely
necessary.
The
Boston
Public
Health
commission
supports
making
the
decision
to
request
the
section
35
and
voluntary
commitment
for
treatment,
but
as
the
public
health
department
in
the
city
of
Boston,
it's
not
our
decision
to
make,
and
it's
not
under
our
control.
C
I
would
be
remiss
if
I
did
not
thank
the
team
here
today.
As
I
said,
this
is
a
collaboration
as
well
as
the
dedicated
staff
of
Boston
Public
Health
commission's
Recovery
Services,
Bureau
and
homeless
Services
Bureau,
who
work
tirelessly
to
serve
individuals
living
with
substance
use
disorder
with
compassion
and
professionalism.
C
D
E
E
Right
good
morning,
Council
Murphy
Council
Baker
members
of
the
committee.
Thank
you
very
much
for
inviting
me
here
today.
My
name
is
Jim
holian
I
am
the
chief
at
Boston
EMS
of
the
city's
Municipal
Ambulance
Service
Boston
EMS
is
committed
to
compassionately,
delivering
excellent
pre-hospital
care
into
protecting
the
safety
and
health
of
the
public.
E
E
Well,
we've
seen
a
seven
percent
increase
in
calls
to
the
mass
and
Cassie
area
compared
to
the
same
time
period.
Last
year
we
have
also
seen
a
six
percent
increase
in
call
volume
overall
Citywide.
So
that's
it's
pretty
much
in
keeping
with
the
city-wide
increase
in
calls
and
demands
on
service.
I
just
want
to
point
that
out.
E
E
There's
been
great
advancements
where
ahope
certainly
was
led
by
Boston
Public,
Health
commission,
but
then
hospitals
and
other
programs
to
provide
nikan
for
family
members,
loved
ones,
friends
of
people
who
live
with
people
who
are
suffering
from
addiction
and
depending
on
narcotics
every
day,
and
they
a
lot
of
them,
carry
knock
in
and
if
but
but
if
they've
used
it
successfully.
That's
great
now
they
have
to
try
to
get
some
more.
So
we
have
a
program.
We
can.
We
have
permission.
E
We
can
do
a
lead
guide
and
not
can
so
the
so
if
people
need
it,
they
can
get
it
up.
Sooner
than
later,
and
with
recent
State
approval
to
employ
a
mobile
Integrated,
Health
Care
Boston
EMS
is
actively
working
with
the
Boston
Medical
Center
stabilization
Care
Center
at
The
Roundhouse
to
Pilot
an
alternative
destination
transport
program
for
appropriate
patients.
E
We
continue
to
be
a
partner
in
the
city's
response
to
homelessness
and
addiction
and
actively
strive
to
align
our
kid
delivery
with
the
patient's
needs.
I
would
like
to
conclude
by
expressing
my
gratitude
and
appreciation
for
the
members
of
our
department
who
serve
individuals
with
masks
and
cats
with
the
masking
cast
area,
as
well
as
across
the
city
with
dignity,
care
and
clinical
Excellence.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
A
F
Good
morning
councilors,
thank
you
for
having
me
today.
My
name
is
Lieutenant
Peter
Messina
from
the
Boston
Police
Department
I
am
the
commander
of
the
street
Outreach
unit.
I
have
currently
assigned
to
my
unit
eight
Patrol
officers,
one
sergeant
and
myself.
My
officers
are
highly
trained
and
specialized
on
dealing
with
those
suffering
from
mental
illness,
substance
use,
disorder
and
homelessness.
F
We
spend
roughly
probably
75
80
of
our
time,
we're
city-wide
unit,
but
we
spend
the
majority
of
our
time
down
in
the
Madison
Cass
area,
because
that's
where
everything
is
right
now
so
I'm
going
to
provide
you
just
kind
of
with
an
overview
of
the
current
state
of
affairs
down
there
I'm
going
to
be
providing
you
with
data,
along
with
the
current
plan,
along
with
an
overview
of
section,
12
and
section
35s
I'm
going
to
do
the
best.
I
can
I
speak
fast,
so
I'll
do
the
best
I
can
to
kind
of
condense.
This.
F
Thank
you.
So
the
current
state
of
affairs
right
now
in
the
morning
we
have
roughly
between
75
and
100
individuals
out
there,
depending
on
the
weather.
It
might
be
60
individuals
I
would
definitely
see
we're.
Definitely
trending
in
the
right
direction
regarding
numbers.
Throughout
the
day,
these
numbers
could
potentially
swell
to
about
125
to
150
on
any
given
day.
This
congregation
is
usually
on
access,
streets
spread
out,
tents
have
popped
up,
but
we're
getting
voluntary
compliance
and
the
individuals
during
the
day
are
taking
those
tents
down.
F
We
are
centralizing
messaging
and
getting
a
lot
of
voluntary
compliance
like
I
just
said.
Centralized
messaging
is
a
comprehensive
approach
with
all
the
involved
agencies
at
this
table
and
others
who
aren't
here
today.
There
are
new
individuals
in
the
area,
but
the
great
thing
about
the
new
individuals
are
is
we
are
interacting
with
those
individuals
and
working
towards
getting
them
in
the
pushing
them
in
the
right
direction.
So
our
alarm
wasn't
present
down
presence
down
there.
We
have
code
19,
fixed
posts,
code,
19,
fixed
posts
are
visibility,
posts.
F
Those
are
for.
If
something
happens
in
the
street,
individuals
can
run
up
to
that
car
and
those
officers
are
ready
to
deal
with
the
situation
out
there,
and
that
happens
multiple
times
a
day.
We
also
have
proactive
and
reactive
law
enforcement.
Reactive
law
enforcements
consists
of
911
calls
for
service
and
proactive
law
enforcement
consists
of
the
drug
unit
actively
in
the
area
the
gang
unit,
the
street
Outreach
unit,
along
with
the
bike
unit
and
a
variety
of
other
specialized
units
in
that
area.
F
We
do
also
specialize
in
dealing
with
diversion
when
that
criteria
is
met
by
working
with
the
DA's
office.
The
current
state
every
day
we're
on
845
calls
collaborating.
We
assist
in
cleaning
of
the
area,
Monday,
Wednesday
and
Friday,
along
with
the
weekly
Hub
meeting,
which
is
a
collaborative
effort
to
offer
services
to
individuals
in
those
areas
in
the
hub
are
usually
Boston.
F
Overall,
total
crime
in
the
area
is
down
three
percent,
so
we
have
an
actual
map
of
the
area
where
we
get
the
our
data
from.
We
update
that
pretty
much
every
two
weeks
when
we
can,
the
larceny
is
down.
Homicides
are
down
100
this
year.
We
have
none
for
2022,
whereas
we
had
six
last
year,
our
year-to-day
drug
incidents
involving
police.
We
have
246
incidents.
This
year,
year-to-day
Total
Drug
incident
suspects
of
388.
We
have
116
individuals
who
had
warrants
in
conjunction
with
the
drug
offense,
year-to-day
drug
arrest.
F
We
have
166
and
year-day
Drug
summonses
222.
that
goes
from
January
1st
until
November
28th
I
think
it
was
Monday
human
trafficking
data.
So
we
also
were
working
with
collaborative
collaboratively
in
the
area
with
a
bunch
of
different
agencies
on
working
with
getting
the
individuals
stopping
the
sex
trade
down
there.
So
we
had
16
individuals
arrested
and
charged
three
people
arrested
and
charged
with
traffic
of
a
person.
Those
16
individuals
were
charged
with
sex
for
fee.
F
The
three
individuals
were
trapping
up,
a
person,
45
individuals
were
summonsed
and
80
plus
victims
of
the
commercial
sex
trade
were
identified
and
hooked
up
with
Services
warrant
data.
We
have
since
May
18th
the
start
of
the
warm
weather
plan.
We
have
106
individuals
arrested
for
outstanding
warrants
and
205
warrants
cleared
of.
What's
important
to
footstomp
is
our
arrest
total
arrest
year
over
year
up
71,
while
our
calls
for
service
in
the
area
are
down
13
percent,
so
I
just
want
to
brief
you
just
a
quick
overview
on
section
12.
F
Synopsis
on
plus
12
and
35s,
so
section
12.,
section
12s,
are
brought
forward
by
usually
a
physician
or
a
licensed
clinical
social
worker.
Those
section
12s
are
related
to
individuals
who
these
Physicians
or
social
workers
have
a
reason
to
believe
the
failure
to
hospitalize
such
a
person
will
create
a
likelihood
of
serious
harm
but
a
reason
of
mental
illness,
and
they
may
restrain
authorize
the
Restraint
of
such
a
person
and
apply
for
hospitalization
of
a
person
for
a
three-day
period.
F
In
an
emergency
situation,
law
enforcement
can
section
12
a
person
and
bring
that
person
to
the
hospital,
so
mental
illness
for
the
purpose
I
just
want
to
provide
a
quick
definition,
means
substantial
disorder
of
thought,
mood,
perception,
orientation
on
memory,
which
grossly
impairs
judgment,
behavior
and
capacity
to
recognize
the
reality
of
the
ability
to
meet
ordinary
demands
of
life.
So
one
thing
that's
important
to
note:
we
have
section
12s
that
happens.
City-Wide
that
occur
and
I
have
that
data
through
June,
30th
and
I
also
have
section
12s
for
the
mass
and
cast
area.
F
My
unit
has
been
responsible
for
dealing
with
just
five
section
12s
year
to
date
before
the
Madison
cast
area.
However,
the
Boston
police
department
has
been
responsible
for
dealing
with
a
total
of
sorry.
Just
give
me
one
second
dealing
with
total
of
six
section
12s
in
that
area.
What's
important
to
note
is
a
lot
of
these
section
12s?
F
They
are
done
by
providers
on
the
street
when
there's
a
response
by
EMS,
that's
consisting
of
of
an
edp3
call
that
does
not
require
law
enforcement
response,
so
EMS
keeps
that
I'm
assuming
keeps
that
data
on
section
12..
However,
what
you're
seeing
out
there,
though,
is
the
underlying
cause
of
a
lot
of
the
issues
out.
F
There
are
mental
illness
because
in
their
their
medicating
themselves,
based
on
the
underlying
cause
of
Mental
Illness,
but
when
you're
seeing
down
the
street
when
someone
is
acting
out
of
the
ordinary
that
is
usually
as
a
result
of
substance
use
disorder,
so,
regarding
substance
use
disorder,
I
can
bounce
into
section
35s
now
section
35
is
a
year.
Over
year
we
have
38
in
the
Madison
cast
area.
F
We
are
very,
it's
very
important
that
we
don't
that
we're
very
responsible
with
that
tool
on
our
tool
belt
out
of
the
38
instances,
we
have
29
distinct
individuals.
So
what
that
means
is
some
of
these
individuals
have
been
sectioned
multiple
times.
One
thing
that
my
unit
does:
we
do
the
best
we
can
out
there
to
work
with
the
families,
because
a
lot
of
these
section
35s
are
through
the
families.
F
So
we
want
to
make
sure
that
they're
meeting
the
specific
criteria.
So
when
we
bring
that
individual
to
the
courts
in
front
of
a
judge,
they
meet
the
criteria
to
be
sectioned.
Nothing
is
more
discouraging
for
a
family
member
or
a
loved
one
to
bring
their
loved
one
to
the
court
and
have
that
person
not
meet
the
Criterium
you
put
back
out
in
the
street
I'm
trying
to
just
give
The
Abridged
version
of
this.
If
you
want
me
to
continue
on
I,
can
gladly.
F
So,
thank
you
very
much
so
with
Section
35's.
What's
important
to
note
is
that
a
petition
I'll
take
you
through
the
process
petition
for
Section
35
is
made
because,
because
a
person
is
believed
to
be
an
alcoholic
or
a
substance
abuser
and
that
petition
may
be
filed
by
a
police
officer,
a
physician
spouse
blood
relative
Guardian,
a
court
official
in
any
division
of
the
district
courts.
F
So
once
the
petition
is
filed,
the
court
must
immediately
schedule
a
hearing
and
cause
the
summons
to
be
served
on
that
person
and
that's
where
my
unit
comes
into
play.
When
we
have
that
summons.
We
that
comes
through
our
office
and
we
look
for
that
individual
in
the
mass
and
cast
area.
The
respondent
has
a
right
to
counsel.
So
when
that
person
is
brought
to
the
court,
they
have
a
right
they're
examined
by
a
medical
clinician
and
they
have
a
right
to
counselor
appointed
an
attorney.
F
F
We
have
made
Leaps
and
Bounds
on
the
section
35
process
through
the
courts
without
a
doubt
is
definitely
the
courts
are
recognizing
and
the
facilities
are
recognizing
wraparound
treatment,
because
there
is
a
higher
likelihood
when
someone
hits
sobriety
of
any
period
of
time.
There
is
a
higher
likelihood
that
they
can't
overdose
when
they
get
out.
So
we
want
to
make
sure
the
courts,
police
and
everybody
involved-
wants
to
make
sure
that
there's
not
that
they
don't
overdose
when
they
come
back
out.
F
What's
important,
to
note
is
that
there's
three
criteria
that
need
to
be
met
and
that's
a
substantial
risk
of
serious
physical
harm
to
the
respondent,
a
risk
of
fiscal
harm
to
other
persons
as
a
result
of
substance,
use
disorder
or
various
substantial
risk
of
physical
impairment
or
injury
to
the
self
to
the
respondent?
What
my
unit
does
is
we
make
sure,
over
a
period
of
time
that
this
individual
will
meet
that
criteria?
F
We
want,
we
look
at
it
over
a
month
and
then
expand
it
from
there,
and
we
want
to
show
the
courts
that
there
is
a
criteria
where
that
person
is
spiraling
downhill
in
their
near
death.
If
we
don't
section
them
so
current
plan,
I've
got
home
short
on
time
now.
Our
current
plan
in
the
area
for
law
enforcement
is
a
continued
enforcement
and
law
enforcement
presence
in
the
area.
F
Like
I
said,
our
arrests
are
up
71
year
over
year,
which,
which
is
shows
the
amount
of
work
the
Boston
Police
Department
is
doing
out
there.
In
addition
to
that,
our
comprehensive
approach
working
with
our
partners
is
absolutely
fantastic.
The
coordinator
response
team,
led
by
Tanya
Del
Rio,
is
has
been
absolutely
moving
in
Leaps
and
Bounds
compared
to
what
it
was
a
year
ago.
So
we
are
working
rapidly
in
the
right
in
the
right
direction.
F
A
Thank
you
I'll
just
quickly
say
that
I
visit
down
there
I've
seen
you
many
times
there
and
every
time.
If
it's
you
or
one
of
the
other
offices,
they
know
everyone
by
name
and
they
are
very
responsive
and
caring
there.
So
thank
you
for
that.
So
thank
you
for
all
of
your
presentations.
I'm,
going
to
now
go
to
my
colleagues
for
questions
I'm
going
to
go
in
order
of
counselor
Flaherty,
then
the
co-sponsor
consulate
Baker
and
then
it
will
be
counselor
Flynn,
councilor
Mejia.
A
G
H
You
thank
you,
madam
chair,
obviously
thanked
you
to
the
piano
I
just
want
to
Dive
Right
into
both
Tanya
and
and
Dr
I.
Guess
it's
fair
to
say,
obviously,
that
with
respect
to
the
clean
needles
and
the
needle
exchange,
no
one
has
done
more.
Obviously,
this
city
and
the
city
council
has
let,
if
it's
and
it's
clearly
proven
to
be
successful
and
it's
I
think
led
the
way
across
the
country
in
terms
of
reduction
of
HIV
and
so
I.
No
one
is
discounting
that
whatsoever.
H
We're
doing
great
work
on
needle
exchange
and
we're
doing
great
work,
and
it
does
work
because
I
think
we
distribute
about
a
million
needles
and
I
think
we
get
like
1.2
backs
or
in
somewhere
in
that
vicinity.
So
that's
a
that's
a
successful
program
where
we
now
shift
and
we
start
passing
out
crack
pipes
and
meth
pipes
from
from
my
perspective
and
when
you
talk
to
family
members
and
I
had
a
cousin
over
there
and
prior
to
him
dying.
He
said
that
mass
and
Cass
was
a
great
area
to
to
get
high.
H
It
was
a
great
area
to
push
the
limits
of
your
high
and
it
was
a
great
area
to
push
the
synthetics
and
that's
what
he
reported,
someone
that
was
running
and
gunning
over
there
for
for
a
period
of
time
before
he
had
passed
away,
and
so
that's
coming
from
a
familial
perspective
and
I've
talked
to
other
folks
over
their
parents,
obviously
being
told
that
not
to
not
enable
their
children
when
their
son
or
daughter
comes
home
and
they're
on
drugs
or
alcohol
and
they're
being
disruptive.
The
families
always
told
mothers
in
particular
that
you
have.
H
You
can't
enable
you
have
to
push
that
child
away
to
make
sure
they
hit
rock
bottom
and
they
get
help
only
to
be
enabled
over
at
mass
and
Cass.
So
someone
has
to
I
guess
to
describe
I,
guess
or
explain
to
me
the
logic
with
respect
to
Distributing
crack
pipes
and
meth
pipes,
shifting
to
obviously
to
to
Lieutenant
machine
I'll,
just
put
out
the
questions,
and
we
can
go
back
and
answer
them.
H
We've
got
stores,
and
particularly
pharmacies
that
are
closing
in
Boston
because
of
the
theft
they're,
locking
down,
toothpaste,
we're
not
making
those
arrests,
we're
not
paying
attention
to
that
type
of
activity.
So
mass
and
cast
expands
up
South
Hampton
Street,
putting
a
tremendous
strain
on
area
C6.
Frankly,
mass
and
cash
should
probably
be
its
own
Police
District,
given
the
volume
of
calls
both
between
BPD
and
EMS.
Those
calls
are
for
service
are
in
the
thousands
and
we're
not
even
through
the
year.
F
H
Well,
it's
just
in
that
area.
Plus,
South,
Bay,
Mall,
yeah,
so
think
about
the
residents
in
the
and
the
businesses
over
there.
No
one's
feel
no
one's
feeling
safe
over
there.
Furthermore,
to
go
to
harm
reduction.
Nobody
is
getting
straight.
Nobody
is
getting
sober,
no
one's
getting
their
life
back
on
track.
Our
metric
shouldn't
be
giving
them
housing,
our
metrics
should
be
getting
them
into
recovery
and
those
should
be
the
metrics
who's
getting
straight
who's
getting
sober.
Not
oh,
we
got
a
roof
under
the
head,
move
on
to
an
expert
off
Lieutenant.
F
H
What
what
what
would
bring
a
new
face
to
mass
and
cast,
because
when
someone
says
to
me,
hey
I,
want
to
get
recovery,
the
last
place
I'm
suggesting
they
go,
is
mass
and
gas.
The
last
place.
What
would
bring
a
new
face
to
mass
and
cast?
Is
it
the
crack
pipes?
Is
it
the
meth
pipes?
Is
it
the
open
air
drug
environment?
Is
it
the
predatory
stuff,
that's
going
on
between
the
hustle
back
and
forth
to
South
Bay
Mall,
the
sexual
and
human
trafficking
piece
of
it?
What
brings
a
new
face
to
massages?
F
New
face
there,
so,
what's
important
to
note
is
that
Massacre
has
the
perception
of
that
area
since
2014
has
been.
Let's
be
honest
here,
it's
been
called
methanol
mile
for
upwards
what
eight
years
now.
So
it's
the
perception
of
the
area,
that's
bringing
in
new
faces
and
also
where,
where
mayor
Walsh
said
it
the
best
where
a
were
being
penalized
for
our
success
in
the
area.
H
Yeah
I'd
like
to
hear
I'd
like
to
hear
from
director
in
terms
of
the
the
logic
between
passing
out
crack
pipes
and
meth
pipes
and,
and
also
the
question
is,
do
you
really
think
is
the
individuals
that
are
over
there?
The
poor
souls
that
are
there?
Do
you
think
they're
capable
of
making
good
sound,
reasonable,
healthy
decisions
for
themselves
on
average?
A
C
H
H
C
Let's
be
real,
specific
and
real
yeah,
but
I
think
for
the
purposes
of
understanding
the
full
breadth
of
a
conversation
we
have
to
see.
Harm
reduction
is
not
just
about
you
know,
exchange
of
syringes.
It
really
is
a
spectrum
of
strategies
that
decrease
these
life-threatening
impacts
of
drug
use
and,
in
addition
to
decreasing
the
life-threatening
impacts
they
also,
it
helps
increase
engagement
and
services.
As
I
recall,
as
I
mentioned,
more
than
2
000
individuals
have
been
engaged
in
detox
and
treatment
by
interacting
with
our
services,
and
that's
just
since
January
of
this
year.
C
So
in
terms
of
sharing
pipe
in
terms
of
exchanging
pipes
and
having
cracked,
paraphernalia
or
pipes
that
are
used
for
smoking,
methamphetamine
available
sharing
pipes
is
a
dangerous
practice,
Burns
and
cuts
on
the
lips.
It
increases
the
risk
of
transmission
of
blood-borne
pathogens
like
hepatitis,
C
and
like
HIV.
There
are
studies
documenting
this
risk,
so
that
is
also
similar
to
syringes.
That
is
an
important
risk
factor
for
HIV
and
hepatitis
C
transmission.
C
So
we
do
want
to
make
sure
the
people
are
using
them
to
decrease
in
a
way
that
decreases
their
harm
and
their
risk
of
of
Contracting
an
infectious
disease.
In
addition,
the
one
of
the
reasons
why
we
do
make
these
implements
these
strategies
available
is
because
injecting
drugs
in
and
of
itself
is
a
dangerous
practice.
I've
already
explained
hepatitis
C,
but
we're
also
talking
about
infected
infectious
endocarditis.
We're
also
talking
about
abscesses
we're
talking
about
infections
in
the
joints
and
the
bones:
it's
I'm
an
infectious
disease
physician.
C
This
is
a
major
major
problem,
so
what
we
are
trying
to
do
by
giving
people
strategies
that
allow
them
to
maybe
move
from
injection
to
smoking
is
actually
decreasing
their
harm
and
it's
decreasing
their
risk,
and
there
have
been
data
showing
that
if
you
decrease
the
risk,
if
you
actually
move
from
injecting
to
actually
smoking
drugs,
you
are
decreasing
your
risk
of
these
other
diseases.
These
other
infections
that
can
be
life-threatening
and,
as
I
mentioned
before,
cost
our
health
system
a
lot
of
money.
So
this
is
a
strategy
that
works.
C
There's
document
documented
data
to
suggest
that
it
works
and
I
think
it's
an
important
thing
that
we
do
harm
reduction
in
itself.
Like
I
said
it's
not
just
about
specific
items,
it's
really
about
the
entire
comprehensive
approach,
and
this
is
how
we
engage
people
on
a
regular
basis
on
the
street.
If
we
weren't
doing
this,
we
wouldn't
be
engaging
them.
They
would
be
off
in
Corners
as
they
were
back
in
the
80s
before
we
really
ramp.
This
up
and
I
do
think.
B
Just
to
agree
with
everything
my
colleagues
said,
but
as
far
as
I
wanted
to
take
your
question
about
whether
people
were
capable
or
not,
of
making
decisions.
That's
what
that
process
that
Peter
described
earlier
around
section
35
tries
to
discern
whether
it's
a
section
12
and
is
talking
about
mental
health
or
35,
and
it's
talking
about
broader
and
I
just
wanted
to
cite
some
examples
and
I'm,
hoping
that
some
colleagues
that
are
part
of
these
efforts
behind
me
will
will
talk
about
it.
B
I
have
seen
people
make
really
good
decisions
around,
for
example,
joining
Workforce
Development
programs,
whether
they're
staying
on
the
street
facing
homelessness
substance
use
disorder
and
make
a
choice
to
join
the
new
market.
Cleaning
group
and
I
have
seen
eventually
those
people
get
better
and
better
and
I
have
seen
people
in
the
short
time
that
I've
been
here
recover
into
sobriety,
did
cite
the
numbers
around
treatment
referrals.
We
have
seen
those
those
human
beings
exit
the
area.
B
A
B
C
Yeah
sure
so,
I
think,
first
of
all,
what
I
would
say
is
that
we
are
working
really
diligently
to
improve
improve
our
data
collection
as
you've
seen,
there's
a
whole
mass
and
cast
dashboard.
That's
not
publicly
available.
This
is
a
huge
step
forward
in
the
last
year,
has
taken
enormous
amount
of
effort
to
do
this
and
doing
these
point
in
time.
C
Assessments
we're
also
following
individuals,
who've
sort
of
gone
through
this
Pathway
to
provide
you
be
able
to
provide
you
with
the
information
that
you're
asking
what
I
know
and
can
tell
you
today
is
that
as
of
mid-august,
if
we're
talking
about
those
individuals
who
are
are
housed,
they've
gone
through
the
housing
pathway,
meaning
they've
left,
the
street
64
percent
are
entered
into
Primary
Care
49
are
now
on
medication
for
opioid
use
disorders.
That's
50
are
on
medication,
for
opioid
use
disorders,.
B
K
K
C
This
is
not
just
in
the
last
year,
we're
talking
about
at
a
point
in
time
in
August
and
that
that
actually
is
a
success.
If
you
consider
the
fact
that
we
had
more
than
200
people
who
were
placed
into
housing
throughout
the
course
of
time
that
we've
we've
been
doing
this
project
and
the
fact
that
this
hasn't
happened
before
that,
we've
really
put
forth
an
enormous
amount
of
effort
and
enormous
amount
of
funding
to
find
low
threshold
housing
place.
C
People
in
the
low
thresh
housing
get
them
the
services
at
the
low
threshold
housing
and
to
get
them
into
recovery.
Sometimes,
when
I
look
at
this
I
think
that
we're
gauging
this
based
on
sort
of
the
wrong
impression
we
are
living
in
a
situation
where
we
have
a
lot
of
people
who
are
struggling.
A
lot
of
people
who
are
struggling
with
substance
use
disorder.
So
the
progress
that
we're
making
may
not
be
as
visible
and
may
not
have
the
numbers
that
you
may
want
to
see
at
this
point.
K
Just
to
be
clear,
I'm
not
looking
to
see
any
numbers
because
I
don't
trust
any
of
them.
I
see
people
all
over
the
streets
in
every
neighborhood
and
and
we're
talking
about
400
people
that
are
in
six
sites
that
we've
spent
probably
60
million
dollars
on
so
I'm.
Looking
for
real
numbers,
I'm
looking
for
real
solutions
and
and.
G
K
C
Nobody's
patting
ourselves
on
the
back:
here
we
are
struggling
every
single
day.
We
are
meeting
all
of
us
from
BPD
to
the
mayor's
office
to
EMS.
This
has
been
a
concerted
effort.
We
are
putting
an
enormous
amount
of
of
energy
into
trying
to
help
people
and
into
trying
to
move
this
forward,
so
I
think
inclusive
of
many
of
you
all
as
City
councilors
I
spend
time
speaking
to
you
guys
and
talking
about
how
to
do
this.
It's.
G
H
Just
I'll
just
leave
it
to
this.
Obviously
there
seems
to
be
a
tremendous
amount
of
infinite
in
in
emphasis
on
the
harm
reduction
and
maybe
not
enough
about
recovery
in
the
metrics
around
recovery
and
so
I
I
view
it.
You
view
it
as
harm
reduction,
I
think
when
you
pass
out
crack
pipes
and
meth
pipes,
that's
enabling
when
you
have
addicts
over
there.
H
That's
that's
a
recipe
for
disaster
and
if
you're,
a
family
member,
that
you
have
a
family
member
over
there
and
you're,
hoping
that
they're
getting
recovery
and
you're,
hoping
that
they're
not
being
enabled
and
you're
hoping
that
they've
hit
rock
bottom.
But
yet
they're
running
and
gunning
and
they've
got
a
hustle
going
on
over
there
and
and
that's
what's
happening
and
they're
running
up
and
down
South
Hampton
Street
to
make
a
quick
score
at
South,
Bay
Mall,
then
they're
back
and
they're,
getting
some
Street
stuff
and
then
and
they're.
H
Just
constantly
sort
of
I
guess
pushing
the
limits
of
their
high.
They
know
they're
in
a
community
that
have
access
to
Narcan
and
things
like
that.
But
I
really
want
the
emphasis
to
be
on
recovery
because
at
the
end
of
the
day,
that's
that's
really.
Our
focus
should
be
putting
lives
back
together,
reuniting
them
with
their
family
and
with
their
children
and
their
parents
and
getting
them
healthy,
getting
them
safe
and
sober.
It's
not
safe
down
there.
H
It's
a
disaster
down
there,
and
so
I
know
that
and
I
think
the
short
answer
is
harm
reduction,
put
a
roof
over
the
head,
get
them
get
them
some
housing
when,
if
the
person's
not
functioning
and
they're,
not
healthy
and
they're,
not
making
Goods
healthy
decisions,
we're
just
chasing
our
tail
and
then
we're
introducing
new
faces
because
of
some
of
the
stuff
that
we're
passing
out
down
I
just
again,
I'll
see
the
whatever
the
balance
I
have.
If
any,
but.
B
That's
my
frustration
because
you
were
asking
for
these
metrics
I
didn't
have
them
a
second
ago
counselor,
so
you
had
them
and
they
are
in
the
dashboard
outside
of
the
low
threshold
housing
Public
Health
commission
is
placing
between
150
and
200
people
in
treatment
places
a
month,
they've
done
2234
year
to
date.
In
this
month
we
are
up
almost
14
as
compared
to
last
month.
B
A
A
Thank
you,
Council
Flaherty
before
I
hand
it
over
to
councilor,
Baker
I
just
want
to
say,
because
I
know
we
were
all
watching
the
news
and
reading
the
Articles
have
been
several
in
the
last
two
days
and
the
mayor
had
stated
on.
You
know:
80
90
percent,
better
and
like
I,
know,
statistics
and
numbers,
but
when
you
drive
by-
and
you
see
and
you
talk
to
people
and
I
know
it's
not
all
what
you
see
on
the
street.
But
if
something
is
90
better,
it
definitely
looks
much
different
than
it
is
so.
A
I
do
just
want
to
say
that
some
people
are
pushing
that
because
90
is
like
almost
fixed.
We
had
a
BPS
hearing
with
Transportation
Desi
wants
them
at
95
percent
and
they're
patting
themselves
on
the
back
for
88,
but
that's
thousands
of
kids
not
getting
picked
up,
so
we
know
that
numbers
can
get
confusing
you're
all
you
all
understand
that,
and
just
I'm
just
gonna
say
one
more
quick
thing:
our
freedoms
are
often
taken
away
and
I
know
that
section.
K
And
I'm
just
frustrated
by
this,
this
it's
something
that's
been
in
my
life,
my
entire
life
I've
been
dealing
with
heroin
addicts
in
my
family,
my
entire
life,
and
from
my
experience
the
more
we
coddle
a
heroin
addict,
the
more
Advantage
they're
going
to
take
and
the
worse
it's
going
to
get
for
them.
So
my
problem
is
in
the
fact.
K
First,
let's
start,
let's
start
off
with
how
much
have
we
sunk
into
the
six,
the
six
load
threshold
sites
dollar
amount
and
then
how
much
went
into
is
in
The,
Roundhouse,
just
The,
Roundhouse
and
then
The
Roundhouse
was
supposed
to
be
a
one-year
thing.
Then
a
two-year
thing
we're
two
years
into
it
now
and
there
isn't
even
a
discussion,
so
is-
is
BMC
going
to
buy
that
and
are
we
going
to
have
that
Roundhouse
at
that
corner
for
the
rest
of
my
life?
K
B
B
K
B
G
K
B
K
A
K
A
K
My
my
problem
is:
is
we're
calling
them
low
threshold
sites?
So
what
about
that
odd
person?
Those
couple
of
people
that
maybe
have
had
enough
when
enough
is
enough-
and
they
say
I'd
love
to
go,
get
in
a
hotel
room,
but
not
everybody
in
the
whole
area,
either
using
or
selling
themselves
or
whatever
else
is
going
on.
Have
we
ever
thought
of
that?
Is
there
no
discussion.
B
K
B
K
I
say
this:
when
I
hear
all
the
time
when
I
hear
people
from
your
side,
talking
about
all
options
are
on
the
table
and
all
options
aren't
on
the
table.
When
we
talk
about
section
35,
we're
treated
like
like
we're,
barbarians
and
and
similar
to
council
to
councilor
Murphy
I've
I've
sectioned,
multiple
people
in
my
life,
my
multiple
people
that
I
love
daily
I've
sectioned
in
my
sectioned
in
my
life
and
I.
Just
don't
think
that
I
think.
If
we
set
up
a
real
program,
we
have
two
half
empty
jails.
K
We
could
go
Nashua,
Street
and
re
rehab
that
whole
thing
for
30
million,
not
for
30
million,
probably
100
million
rehabbing
into
a
dph
facility,
where
you
could
self-check
weekend
section
35
where
you
could
section
12,
but
we
don't
want
to
do
that.
We
want
this
treadmill.
This
looks
to
me
everything
that
we're
doing
looks
to
me
like
like
hospice.
K
It
feels
like
hospice
because
I
don't
think
that
any
of
those
425
people
are
how
many
I
think,
if
we're
checking
back
in
on
them
in
five
years,
under
this
model
right
here,
I
I'm
curious
as
to
how
many
of
them
are
still
alive,
because
they're
so
far
gone
the
bottom.
Now
we
never
seem
to
council
Flaherty
talked
about
and
talked
about
hitting
the
bottom.
There
is
no
bottom
anymore,
because
they're
in
a
Perpetual
state
of
just
screwed
up
in
harm
reduction
is
harm
reduction.
K
C
Is
harm
reduction
is
decreasing
the
risk
of
these
infectious
diseases
in
these
life-threatening
complications,
but
it's
also
an
entryway
into
medication
that
helps
people
like
Suboxone
and
methadone,
it's
it
and
to
engage
people
in
Services.
It's
not
just
one
thing:
it's
actually
a
door
opening
for
people
to
engage
with
the
system
so
that
they
can
get
help
if
they
want
it,
but
that
they
can
also
have
access
to
tools
that
will
keep
them
safe
and
keep
them
alive
so
that
they
can
eventually
get
to
where
we're
all
wanting
them
to
be,
which
is
in
recovery.
C
K
Why
are
we
against?
Why
are
we
against
bringing
people
in
and
making
it
up,
making
it
a
a
an
environment
where
drugs
are
not
brought
in
where
drugs
cannot
be
used
in
a
facility
where
we
have
100
of
the
of
their
attention?
Something
like
a
locked
facility
that
you
would
need
to
stay
in
for
for
three
months,
because
we
all
know
that
the
more
you
go
in
and
out
the
more
you
go
in
and
out
you
don't
you
don't?
K
Have
you
don't
have
total
attention
total
attention
there,
I
I'm,
just
all
options
on
on
the
table:
Yeah
Peter?
How
so
when
you,
when
you
section
35
somebody,
will
you
walk
us
through
that?
How
long
does
that
take?
What's
the
to
use
a
a
business?
What's
the
conversion
rate?
So
if
38
people
this
year,
so
that's
12,
20
12.,
that's
three
a
month
we're
doing
not
even
one
a
week
where
are
they
going?
How
long
is
it
taking
we?
K
Can
you
give
us
a
bit
of
a
because
I
think
that
if
we
had
Nashua
Street
as
a
stand-up,
section,
35
section
12
rail
facility
that
people
could
not
only
just
have
you
bring
them
there
or
me
put
them
in
there
from
from
a
judge,
they
could
also
put
their
hand,
hands
up
and
surrender
and
know
that
they
would
be
in
there
safe.
None
of
these
places
are
safe.
K
Maybe
that's
maybe
that's
a
sweeping
statement,
but
to
me
if
that
activity
is
going
on
inside,
they
are
not
safe
and
we
can-
and
we
can
talk
about
it
as
like-
till
we're
blue
in
the
face,
but
you're
not
going
to
convince
me
that
the
roundhouse
is
totally
safe
and
the
rest
of
the
place
is
safe,
Peta,
sorry
and
I'm
trying
to
keep
it
controlled
here.
I'm
trying
thank.
F
You
so
with
Section
35's.
What's
yes
38
it's
about
one
a
week,
I
would
say
I
mean
we
have
a
few
weeks
left
of
the
year,
but
we
don't
because
of
HIPAA.
We
don't
know
what
essentially
happens
to
these
individuals
once
they
leave
the
facility
they're
sent
to
what's
important.
To
note
is
that
when
we
bring
these
individuals
to
court,
we
want
that
conversion
rate.
So
when
they
walk
in
that
door,
we
don't
want
them
walking
out
the
back
door.
F
F
F
My
day,
look
like
I'm
gonna,
give
give
a
quick
example
of
so
recently
we
had.
We
had
a
father
that
was
that
went
down
there
looking
for
his
daughter,
and
he
was
literally
bawling
his
eyes
out
down
the
street.
Looking
for
his
daughter,
a
couple
individuals
said:
hey
what
do
you
have,
and
he
said
oh
I
have
a
section
35
for
my
daughter.
They
said
that
that's
great,
she
needs
to
be
section.
35.
contacted
our
unit.
We
took
the
section
35
found
the
female
and
brought
her
into
into
the
court.
F
I
met
with
the
court,
clinician
provided
legal
counsel
and
then
sent
off
on
her
way.
This
is
just
one
of
the
cases
we're
dealing
with,
like
I
said,
primarily
we're
dealing
with
the
family
out
there,
but
one
thing
to
foot
stomp
to
hit
on
is
the
importance
of
the
Hub.
That's
something
that
we
just
we
launched
back
in
August
I
think
was
17th
middle
of
August,
which
was
absolutely
fantastic.
F
I
know
when
tiny
first
took
the
job
she
said:
hey,
what
do
we
need
and
it
was
collaborative
case
management
to
provide
services
for
these
individuals.
So
every
week
on
a
Wednesday
we
get
together
as
a
team
and
we
go
over
individuals,
John
Doe,
Jane,
Doe,
hey,
what's
going
on
with
them,
Pine
Street
will
say
this
is
what
we're
doing.
May
his
office
Recovery
Services
hit
us
what
we're
doing
police?
What
do
you
have
there?
This
person
may
have
warrants,
we
don't
know
we'll
look
into
it.
Person
was
just
arrested.
F
What
do
we
do?
We
say:
okay,
this
person
as
a
group
needs
to
be
35
needs
to
be
12
and
we
work
that
case,
but,
like
I
said,
we
want
those
prongs
to
hit.
So
what
we
do
is
we
look
back
when
we
get
a
name,
Council
Baker.
We
get
a
name,
and
we
say
okay.
How
many
times
has
he
overdosed
in
the
past
month?
How
many
times
has
he
been
involved
with
police
reports
related
to
substance,
use
disorder?
And
we
build
that
case.
F
We
want
at
least
three
prongs
of
behavior
that
meets
the
section.
35
criteria
danger
to
others
danger
to
self
inability
to
care
for
self.
My
unit
probably
goes
a
little
bit
further
than
that
because,
like
I
said,
we
want
that
section
35
to
stick.
We
want
that
person
to
get
sent
to
Watson
wherever
it'd
be
that
they
go
like
I
said.
The
issue
is
the
main
issue
is
HIPAA.
We
worked
in
the
past
on
trying
to
get
them
to
sign
a
release.
F
A
lot
of
these
individuals
aren't
open
to
signing
a
release
with
to
the
police,
because
we
just
brought
them
in
there
in
handcuffs
and
most
of
them.
99.9
of
them
were
screaming
and
crying
and
don't
want
to
go
there.
So
we
don't
know
what
the
return
rate
is.
The
only
thing
we
can
attest
to
is
that
if
we
see
them
out
there
after
it
some
people,
we
do
some
people,
we
don't
there's
people
that
we've
sectioned
in
the
past
that
we
just
have
never
seen
them
out
there
again.
F
K
G
B
K
So
then,
when
they
come
in
those
2
000
people,
we
know
where
they
are
in
six
months:
okay,
Tanya
you're
ready
to
go
you've
got
six
months,
good,
here's,
your
family,
you
went
into
job
training,
maybe
we'll
get
you
a
house
or
not
a
house
or
an
apartment,
or
something
and
again
I
have
a
problem
with
people
that
just
come
here
from
New
Hampshire
or
wherever
else.
The
easiest
way
to
get
housing
now
in
Boston
is
to
be
a
general
nuisance
on
the
street,
on
someone's
sidewalk
or
on
their
front
step.
K
Oh,
let's
get
this
guy
housing
I've
got
hundreds
of
people
that
I
try
and
get
housing.
That
I
cannot
get
housing
because
they
are
foolish
enough
to
be
getting
up
every
morning
and
trying
to
work
and
trying
and
we're
not
doing
right
by
them,
because
we're
busy
putting
this
population
in
housing,
so
I
have
an
issue
with
it.
I,
don't
think
the
low
thresh
housing
without
a
serious
section,
35
program.
If
we're
going
to
talk
about
all
options
on
the
table,
then
let's
be
serious
about
it
all
options
on
the
table.
K
Have
we
talked
about
that
at
all?
Nothing,
nothing
and
that's
a
commitment
that
bu
is
going
to
have
that
a
commitment
through
the
bid
that
bu
has.
We
don't
even
talk
about
that
again.
All
options
on
the
table,
but
they're
not
I,
wish
you
guys
would
stop
saying
all
options
are
on
the
table
when
they're
not
on
the
table.
K
L
One
issue
that
I
want
to
focus
on
that
maybe
hasn't
been
discussed
at
Great
length
is
the
critical
role
and
it's
it's
good
to
see.
You
you'll
see
you
lieutenant,
but
the
critical
role
the
Boston
Police
Department,
plays
in
this
area
of
mass
and
Cass,
not
only
just
mass
and
casts,
but
the
neighboring
areas
as
well.
Councilor
bake
was
talking
about
South
Bay,
also
Andrew
Square,
which
is
my
my
neighborhood
in
Council
Baker's
neighborhood
parts
of
Dorchester
parts
of
Roxbury.
L
L
L
We
hear
about
defunding
the
police,
but
not
from
District
City
councils.
I'll.
Tell
you
that
much
because
District
city
council
has
can't
pass
the
buck
at
lodge
councils
can't
pass
the
buck
either,
but
District
City
councils
can't
pass
the
buck
they're,
demanding
they're,
demanding
resources
from
the
police
department.
Every
time
I
go
to
a
community
meeting.
The
first
person
that
speaks
is
the
is
the
captain
or
the
community
service
officer,
and
they
give
a
update
on
crime
stats
and
then
I
speak
after
and
they
say
to
me
councilor
Flynn.
L
L
L
In
my
time
on
the
Boston
city
council,
not
one
person
has
said
to
me:
Council
Flynn
know
what
you
need
to
do.
You
need
to
defund
the
Boston
Police
Department.
You
need
to
cut
resources
for
the
Boston
Police
Department,
not
one
person
I
work
this
job.
Seven
days
a
week,
seven
nights
a
week,
I
haven't
heard
one
person
tell
me
councilor
Flynn.
We
need
to
cut
the
police.
L
L
Children
walking
to
school
with
their
parents
going
by
mass
and
casts
it's
outrageous,
not
sure
how
we
look
at
each
other
in
the
mirror.
Look
at
look
at
ourselves
in
the
mirror.
When
we
know
parents
are
walking
their
kids
to
school,
going
by
mass
mass
and
Chaos
I'd
be
embarrassed.
I
am
embarrassed
to
be
honest
with
you
about
that,
but
I
also
know
if
it's
about
working
together,
it's
about
listening
to
each
other.
Listening
to
Residents,
we
need
to
make
sure
residents
in
and
around
those
areas
are
being
heard
too.
L
L
Madam,
chair
I,
don't
have
any
questions
for
the
panel
I
do
want
to
acknowledge
that
they
are
trying
their
best
they're
working
hard,
I
I
respect
what
they're
doing,
but
what
it.
But
what
is
happening
is
not
working.
I'm
upset
about
the
lack
of
police
presence
in
the
city
of
Boston
and
I'm
and
again
I'm
going
to
call
on
my
city
council
colleagues
to
acknowledge.
L
We
don't
have
enough
police
in
the
city
and
especially
our
district
city
council
is
who
I
know
call
their
Captain
asking
for
more
resources
and
they
should
be
calling
their
Captain
asking
for
more
resources,
because
that's
the
job
of
a
city
councilor
is
asking
for
more
resources
in
your
community
Captain
Sweeney,
your
captain
Boyle.
You
know
we
need
more
police
in
Peters
Park.
We
need
more
police
and
Madison
cast.
A
J
Thank
you,
chair
and
just
for
the
record
so
that
I
could
understand
your
process
here.
Normally
is
seven
minutes,
five
minutes
20
minutes
so
that
I
know
what
my
time
is
because
I've
been
trying
to
keep
time
so
I
want
to
model
the
behavior
that
you
want
to
set
in
your
hearing.
So
let
me
know
what
my
expectation
is
so
that
I
know
how
much
time
I
have.
A
J
A
J
To
you
all
for
those
who
have
been
tuning
in
and
being
triggered
by,
the
language
that
we've
been
using
here
to
describe
our
loved
ones,
who
are
suffering
the
use
of
words
like
attic
and
crack
pipes
are
harmful
to
those
who
have
loved
ones
who
are
out
in
the
streets.
So
this
hearing
was
titled
humanitarian
and
so
for
the
record.
J
This
mess
that
we
are
in
I
didn't
feel
the
same
energy
in
2020
when
we
had
mayor
Walsh
in
a
position
of
power
to
do
something.
The
last
eight
years
have
gone
by,
and
here
we
are
well
here.
You
are
Tanya
now
in
a
new
role
that
never
existed,
we're
leading
with
harm
reduction,
we're
trying
to
do
things
differently,
and
yet
still
that
is
not
enough.
J
J
J
My
question
is:
what
have
you
been
hearing
from
The
Advocates,
because
I
thought
normally
we
were
going
to
start
leading
with
Advocate
voices,
but
I'm
not
going
to
be
here
for
that
part,
so
I'm
going
to
miss
it,
but
I
am
curious.
If
you
could
just
talk
to
me
a
little
bit
about
your
engagement
efforts
with
the
advocates
and
how
what
they
have
been
talking
about,
how
you
have
been
incorporating
that
into
your
work.
B
It's
a
collective
discussion
and
constructive
problem
solving
Focus
discussion
that
it's
just
been
really
rewarding
to
be
a
part
of
as
far
as
those
organ,
those
organizations
that
we're
most
in
touch
with
and
you'll
probably
hear
from
some
of
them.
Today
they
will
say
again:
the
low
threshold
housing
has
been
a
crucial,
crucial,
crucial
tool
and
resource,
and
obviously
it's
a
new
model,
so
the
data
kind
of
is
not
there.
B
Yet
we
have
not
we're
not
five
years
into
it,
but
my
colleagues
at
the
Public
Health
commission
are
doing
the
great
diligence
of
collecting
and
Reporting
out
that
data
as
transparently
as
we
possibly
can
so
that
we
learned
you
know,
what's
worked,
what's
not
worked
and
change
along
the
way
as
far
as
from
neighborhood
Advocates.
What
have
we?
What
have
I
heard
me
personally?
B
Well,
the
improperly
discarded,
syringes
or
different
paraphernalia
was
a
was
a
kind
of
a
huge
concern
remains
a
very
big
concern
when,
when,
when
the
summer
started,
we
have
worked
really
closely,
as
as
the
council
knows,
with
the
new
market
bid
and
other
partners
to
address
that
and
I
think
have
made
really
good
strides.
That
is
an
issue
that
we
hear
a
lot
about
and
that
concerns
us.
We
do
hear
from
the
schools
in
the
area
that
it's
gotten
significantly
better
and
most
mornings.
We
get.
B
B
In
the
morning
the
the
Sharks
team
is
there
to
to
collect
that
to
make
sure
it's
safe
for
the
kids,
yeah
and
then
Long
Island
is,
is
obviously
a
big
thing
that
we
hear
about
people
from
from
the
neighborhood
and
different
kinds
of
Advocates
asking
about
the
timeline
asking
about
where
the
process
is
and
I
could
provide
more
information
about
where
that
is,
if
necessary.
But
that's
another
piece
that
we
hear
a
lot
about.
Maybe
I'll
pass
it
to.
D
D
So
thank
you
for
that
question.
The
providers
that
are
here
and
the
additional
providers
that
we've
pulled
together
to
work
on
this
issue
in
the
community
you
know
are
another
set
of
Advocates
too.
So
we
have
some
of
them
here
to
speak.
We've
reached
out.
You
know:
we've
provided
the
funding
thanks
to
the
council,
with
the
with
some
of
the
new
arba
funding
to
do
some
increased
engagement
with
communities,
Nubian
square
and
East
Boston,
two
of
the
to
the
first
that
we
put
out
to
get
their.
D
J
B
J
So
the
reason
why
I
asked
that
question
and
I
think
it's
really
just
important
to
get
that
on.
The
record
is
because,
when
I
think
about
these
issues,
we
are
it's
a
personal
issue
right.
It's
it's
something!
That's
so
personalized
when
we
think
about
gun
violence
when
we
think
about
mental
health,
when
we
think
about
you
know,
substance
use
disorder.
All
of
these
things
are
so
individualized
that
you
cannot
legislate
how
a
person
is
going
to
show
up
in
this
world.
J
J
For
the
second
panel
I
thought
we
were
going
to
lead
with
Community,
not
to
say
that
I
didn't
think
the
administration
would
be
great
to
hear
first,
but
I
do
appreciate
your
time
and
I'll
be
listening
in
on
my
way
to
my
next
appointment,
even
though
I
won't
be
able
to
ask
any
questions
to
the
community
panelists.
Thank
you.
A
So
I
just
want
to
state
that
in
my
whole,
life
I've
always
met
people
where
they
are
even
as
a
little
kid.
This
disease
is
traumatic.
It's
triggering
for
me
for
many
of
my
colleagues.
It's
personal
I
know
Council
Baker
and
I
Bond
over
this
disease.
He
was
yes,
I
see
John
McGann.
Who,
thankfully,
is
here
you're
keeping
me
grounded?
Thank
you.
A
A
I
got
a
call
in
the
middle
of
the
night
that
the
bridge
was
shut
down.
I
have
been
living
this
since
then.
It
is
personal
and
I.
Just
also
want
to
state
that
I
appreciate
when
my
colleagues
like
counselor,
Baker
and
Council
of
Flaherty,
who
maybe
it's
our
age,
we're
over
50
we've
lived
through
more
experiences
of
heartache
with
people
in
living
through
this
disease.
That
just
thank
you
for
sharing
from
your
heart
and
I.
A
Do
know
that
all
of
you
are
professionals
and
we
don't
all
know
the
right
language
or
use
the
right
language,
but
you
do
know
where
what
they're
saying
so,
if
we're
saying
those
people
or
I,
don't
think
I
mean
we're
not
in
front
of
them.
This
is
a
tense
conversation,
but
we're
having
it.
So.
Thank
you
and
thank
you
for
all
of
the
second
panel
who
I
know
are
here
and
are
staying,
because
your
voices
are
just
as
important
so
just
wanted
to
say
that
and
go
to
counselor
Coletta.
So
thank
you.
M
M
M
A
lot
of
people's
lives
are
impacted,
so
I
just
want
to
say
thank
you
for
what
you're
doing,
because
I
know
that
this
job
is
extremely
difficult,
so
I'm
I'm,
starting
from
a
place
of
gratitude
right
now
and
I,
wanted
to
also
just
reserve
my
time
just
to
say
you
know
to
everybody
in
this
hearing
and
those
listening
that
we
really
just
need
to
be
Solutions
oriented.
This
is
a
complex
issue.
We
could
point
fingers
all
day,
but
it's
not
helping
the
residents
of
Boston
and
it's
not
what
they
deserve.
M
M
So
sorry,
I
cannot
house
you
I,
don't
know
what
is
going
to
happen
and
he
said
it's
fine
I'll
just
go
to
mastercast
and
they'll.
Give
me
free
housing
and
it's
just
continuing
his
his
downward
spiral
and
I
do
I
get
it.
I
appreciate
the
housing
first
model
I
understand
that
we
need
to
have
roofs
over
people's
heads,
but
I
was
I,
wanted
to
just
look
at
the
data
of
how
many
folks
have
gone
through
Recovery
Services,
but
it
sounds
like
we
do
not
have
that
data
due
to
HIPAA
concerns
right.
B
Okay,
I
did
share
this
at
the
beginning
of
my
remarks.
What
we
have
is
a
couple
of
point
in
time.
Assessments
as
of
August
18th
49
of
people
in
the
low
threshold
sites
were
engaged
in
substance
use,
disorder,
treatment
through
medication
and
35
were
receiving
non-medication
treatment.
Group
counseling
and
the
like.
G
B
Of
people
there
were
receiving
primary
medical
care
and
30
percent
were
engaged
in
mental
health
care.
Again.
All
of
this
is
point
in
time
and,
lastly,
as
of
September
22nd,
we
had
90
percent
of
people
in
the
sites
engaging
with
the
housing
Navigator
85
housing
plan
in
place.
57
have
a
Housing
Resource
in
hand
plus
about
a
hundred
and
yeah
plus
about
the
83
people.
I,
don't
remember
how
many
at
the
time,
but
70
80
people
that
had
been
permanently
placed
and
stabilized
so
again
we're
not
too
far
into
this
effort.
M
M
B
M
If
it
is
disjointed,
then
it
needs
to
be
fixed
and
that
that
it
sounds
like
a
state
issue,
so
I
would
love
to
understand
moving
forward.
What
our
partnership
is
is
with
the
state
to
to
fix
that
and
I
do.
Echo
Council
Breakers
calls
just
to
work
with
dph
and
and
get
a
facility,
maybe
working
with
the
sheriff's
department
and
I'm
happy
to
see
that
BPD
is
here.
M
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
work,
I
as
somebody
who
has
worked
in
the
space
of
of
protecting
women
and
their
security
and
understanding
the
difference
between
sex
work
and
involuntary
prostitution
as
a
means
of
survival.
This
is
something
that
I'm
I'm
deeply
concerned
about,
which
is
what's
happening
there
and
I'm,
not
sure
if
it
has
been
discussed
yet
because
I
have
been
back
and
forth.
So
apologies.
F
So
I
have
to
be
careful
as
to
how
much
I
can
divulge
publicly,
but
there
is
a
process
to
it.
My
team
is
well
trained
and
well-versed
in
dealing
with
the
females
working
out
there.
We
know
all
of
them
by
their
first
name.
Our
goal
is
to
work
collaboratively
with
Outreach
workers
and
bring
these
females
into
the
services
they
need
to
get
off
the
off
the
street
and
down
a
path
of
sobriety.
What
is
going
on
with
a
lot
of
these
females
out?
F
There
is
probably
the
most
heart-wrenching
thing
that
I've
experienced
in
my
career,
some
of
the
stuff
that
I
would
not
even
talk
I
refuse
to
talk
publicly
about,
but
there
is
a
process
to
it.
We
are
working
collaboratively
with
a
multitude
of
units
out
there,
including
at
the
state
level
and
the
federal
level
on
getting
separating
the
Predators
that
are
out
there
preying
on
these
females.
M
F
They
are
so
one
of
the
statutes
is
something
we'll
servitude,
sexual
servitude,
which
is
it's
a
felony,
and
this
is,
in
some
cases,
a
federal
offense.
So,
yes,
those
individuals
are
being
brought
through
the
court
systems
and
they're
being
tried
and
sent
to
jail.
There
were
some
high
profile
cases
earlier
in
this
year
of
individuals
who
have
been
arrested.
Like
I
said,
three
individuals
have
been
arrested
in
those
other
investigations
that
are
ongoing
on
these
individuals.
F
M
You
my
last
question:
I
want
to
be
respectful
of
time,
because
I
know
we
have
another
panelist
panel.
But
a
lot
has
been
said
about
the
The
Hub
and
spoke
model.
That's
something
that
the
administration
is
moving
forward
to
implement
and
so
I
want
somebody
to
be
able
to
describe
what
steps
are
being
taken
to
implement
Implement
that
strategy
and
what
will
that
look
like
in
our
respective
neighborhoods.
M
So
there
was
there's
been
a
lot
of
talk,
especially
from
Michelle
Wu
in
the
Boston
Globe
and
on
WBUR
about
the
Hub
and
spoke
model
which
is
decentralizing
mass
and
cast
that
these
are
her
words
from
the
Boston
Globe
from
a
Danny
McDonald
story.
So
I'm
just
curious
to
understand
what
that
means
and
what
that
will
look
like
in
terms
of
implementation.
If
you
can't
answer
that
now,
that's
fine,
but
I
would
follow
up
through
the
chair.
What
that
means
and
and
what
the
timeline
is
for
that.
B
Yeah,
definitely,
we
will
I'll
clarify
what
that
what
that
Hub
and
spoke
model
is
referring
to,
but
as
far
as
the
decentralization
yes,
we
are
eager
to
work
with
State
Partners
to
expand
low
threshold
housing
across
the
state
and
to
collaborate
in
a
few
other
ways.
Jen
has
most
most
of
the
information
about
our
state
collaboration.
That's
happened
throughout
the
years
and
is
ongoing
as
far
as
is.
M
B
N
N
This
hits
home
to
a
lot
of
us
here
on
the
council
here
in
the
city
of
Boston
and
I
love
the
idea
of
that
Hub
table
that
you
guys
are
bringing
in
so
many
different
partners,
but
it
I'm
hearing
from
from
our
colleagues
that
we
need
more
Partners
to
come
in
in
terms
of
just
making
sure
that
that
data
is
being
accounted
for
and
we'd
be
able
to
speak
more
to
the
recovery.
But
my
question
is:
are
there
any
other?
N
You
know,
departments
that
you
guys
will
want
to
see
at
that
Hub
table
in
order
to
make
sure
that
our
response
to
our
coordination
collaboration?
Is
it
neighboring
towns
is
it?
You
know
State
Partners.
You
know
who
who
else
needs
to
be
at
that
table
in
order
to
make
sure
that
we're
we're
tackling
this
issue
head
on.
B
B
So
we
started
with
with
the
group.
That's
like
on-site
on.
Street
knows
people
by
their
first
name
as
far
as
expanding
it.
What
the
table
has
is
referring
partners
that
we
refer
out
to
whether
it
be
another
Hub
table.
For
example,
if
an
individual
has
ties
to,
let's
say
Chelsea
Lowell
wherever
and
there's
a
hub
table
there
more
often
than
not,
that
people
will
be
familiar
with
them
too,
and
will
liaise
to
provide
assistance
to
that
person.
B
We
as
far
as
internal,
like
City
departments,
we
communicate
but
I'll
just
speak
on
my
personal
capacity.
We've
started
to
see
a
need
to
maybe
involve
a
little
more
our
office
of
returning
citizens
and
that's
that's
just
kind
of
a
something
that's
been
on
my
mind.
We
haven't
pulled
the
trigger
on
that
yet,
but
that's
because
we
can
easily
just
also
refer
out
as
a
partner
in
that
way,
so
yeah
does
that
enter
yeah.
N
B
The
there
are
18
Hub
tables
across
Massachusetts.
Ours
is
the
18th
one.
The
first
one
to
open
was
Chelsea
East,
Boston,
Jamaica,
Plain
I
think
we're
early
Hub
tables.
That
is
our
first
kind
of
approach
at
collaboration,
we're
also
in
conversations
with
mapc
to
see
what
more
we
could
do
to
be
in
communication
and
collaboration
across
cities
and
towns,
so
that
we
can
Advocate
at
the
state
level
come
up
with
joint
initiatives.
Those
conversations
are
happening
so
yeah.
We.
N
C
That's
present
on
the
streets
in
on
Atkinson
and
very
active
in
Partnerships
that
are
very
critical
to
the
work
that
we
do
not
always
coordinated
and
I.
Think
that
that's
part
of
what
we're
trying
to
do
is
one
coordinated
and
then,
secondly,
to
enhance
it.
So
we
plan
to
add
four
case
managers
who
will
actually
engage
with
people
on
the
street
one-on-one
meeting
them,
where
they're
at
finding
out
what
their
needs
are
finding
out,
where
they're
from
seeing.
C
If
there
are
ways
that
we
can
refer
and
connect
them
to
Services,
we
will
particularly
be
focusing
on
housing
because
we
see
housing
as
a
first
step
for
a
lot
of
people
first
step.
But
there
are
many
other
many
other
steps,
but
the
goal
will
be
to
understand
exactly
who
it
is
who's
out
there
and
how
we
can
meet
their
individualized
needs.
Awesome.
I
C
Do
work
like
with
Boston
healthcare
for
the
homeless,
who
you
may
hear
from
you
know
in
the
second
panel
or,
as
you
know,
testimony
we
also
have
other
people
who
are
on
the
street
like
housing
case
managers
from
Elliott.
We
have
other
people
who
are
on
the
street,
who
are
interacting
with
people
as
well
as
our
street
Outreach
team.
But
this
is
an
enhancement.
We
really
want
to
dive
more
deeply
into
what
people's
needs
are
awesome.
N
C
A
A
O
You
so
much
Madam
chair
good
morning,
everyone
and
good
morning
Tanya.
Thank
you.
So
much
for
being
at
the
center
of
all
of
this
I
know
that
Dr
jakutu.
This
is
not
new
to
you
and
I,
really
appreciate
all
the
services
I've
been
actually
following
closely
with
Boston
Public,
Health,
commission
and
all
the
services
that
you've
put
out
and
really
appreciate
the
research-based
type
of
approach
that
you've
taken
on
this.
O
However,
there
is
some
research
that
I
guess
this
conversation
in
terms
of
section
35.
There
is
some
research
internationally
and
in
other
areas
in
the
United
States
that
show
that
there
has
been
different
approaches
in
terms
of
like
creating
panels
with
income
in
combination
with
the
law
department
or
Public
Safety,
as
well
as
social
workers,
magistrates,
I
guess
in
the
court,
where
they
come
in
and
actually
assess
a
situation
that
it
wouldn't
be
incarcerating
people,
but
arresting
people
specifically
to
take
them
to
that
process.
O
C
Well,
I
think
maybe
I'll
just
respond
by
saying
that
I
think
there
are
many
options
and
though
it's
been
stated
that
we
probably
you
know
not.
Everybody
believes
this,
but
I
do
think
that
all
options
should
be
explored.
I,
think
that
whatever
we
think
may
work
for,
one
person
may
not
work
for
somebody
else.
It's
very
individualized
people's
experience
in
terms
of
addiction
in
terms
of
mental
health
disorders,
in
terms
of
what's
happening
to
them
within
the
system.
So
I
think
we
need
to
look
at
many
different
ways
of
addressing
these
issues
so
I.
C
C
You
know
how
that
could
possibly
play
some
sort
of
role
in
how
we're
addressing
addiction
and,
to
be
quite
honest
with
you,
you
know
our
approach
is
really
more
holistic
and
it
really
is
focused
in
as
I've
stated
before
and
I'm
very
open
about
this
focused
in
on
meeting
people,
where
they're
at
in
providing
them
with
harm
reduction
and
providing
them
with
choices
and
understanding
that
recovery
is
a
journey
and
thinking
about
issues
related
to
just
their
daily
living
and
housing
and
their
needs.
And
what
is
it?
C
That's,
you
know,
caused
a
problem
with
them
and
throughout
their
lives,
and
how
can
we
fix
that
so
I
think
my
Approach
from
as
a
public
health
professional
is
really
about
being
holistic
and
about
thinking
about
what
we
can
do
to
meet
people's
needs
going
forward
and
to
support
them
in
whatever
decisions
they
decide
to
make.
So
that's
that's
my
Approach.
O
Thank
you,
so
much
A
lot
of
people
argue
that
the
panel
that
I've
mentioned
in
particularly
with
Lisbon
Portugal
that
it
is
holistic
because
it
offers
a
panel
of
variety
but
I
do
understand
that
you're
saying
you
know,
wraparound
means
the
whole
person
wrap
around
also
means
working
with
the
entire
family
and
then
looking
at
all
of
the
different
domains
of
that
person's
life
and
addressing
those
those
needs
and
then,
of
course,
at
their
own
pace.
Of
course,
meeting
people
where
they
are,
which
is
essentially
what
harm
reduction,
is
I.
O
Guess
if,
if
we're
taking
that
approach,
a
lot
of
people
have
the
argument
that
mental
health
as
it
stands,
or
mental
health
services
as
it
stands,
is
sort
of
I
guess
for
I
guess
not
not
necessarily
working,
because
a
lot
of
these
services
are
FIFA
service.
A
lot
of
these
services
do
not
offer
quality
control
or
not
backed
by
quality
control,
so
you're
not
really
knowing
or
not
really
being
able
to
assess
whether
or
not
we
are
addressing
the
needs
holistically
or
whether
or
not
it
is
being
performed
in
a
wrap-around
way.
G
O
C
One
of
the
things
that
I
would
say
and
I
would
also
ask
that
Jen
Tracy
chime
in
here
from
The
Office
of
Recovery,
Services
I.
Think
when
you
look
at
say
these
six
low
threshold
sites,
some
of
them
are
congregates.
Some
of
them
are
non-congregate
and
we
have
different
operators
for
these
sites.
One
of
our
challenges
has
been
in
Sanders
and
quality
control
and
making
sure
that
people
are
sort
of
getting.
C
For
that,
for
you
know,
people
to
actually
succeed
at
the
end
of
the
day,
what
I
would
say
that
I
think
is
really
important
is
that
we
said
this
earlier
in
the
conversation
is
that
we
are
in
a
process
ourselves
of
evaluating
what
we've
done.
This
was
done
in
large
sense
in
an
emergency
basis,
putting
people
into
into
homes
and
dismantling
the
tents
and
we're
really
just
about
a
year
into
it.
C
O
G
O
Disproportionately
impacted
that
covet
disproportionately
impact
of
black
and
brown
people
and
then,
if
we
are
using
arpa
dollars
for
Recovery,
then
how?
How
does
that?
You
know?
How
is
that
fair
to
black
and
brown
people
impacted
by
covert
in
the
first
place?
And
how
is
that
preventative
at
this
point
we're
using
arpa
dollars
for
interventions
rather
than
implementing
them
in
services
that
are
preventative
so
that
we
can
prepare
black
and
brown
populations
that
are
most
vulnerable
to
prevent
them
from
a
future
pandemic
or
whatever?
O
And
so
looking
looking
at
that,
I'm
very
interested
in
how
we're
Distributing
housing
low
threshold
housing
in
Roxbury
already
expressed
fully
that
we
have
enough
low
threshold
housing
in
Roxbury,
that
it
is
the
responsibility
of
the
entire
city
to
distribute
these
service
throughout
the
city.
And
so,
if
you're,
looking
at
how
and
I
know
that
you're,
not
in
the
housing
department.
O
But
if
you're
looking
at
low
threshold,
housing
or
further
services
in
Roxbury,
then
that
that
is
going
to
be
like
a
serious
point
of
contention
for
other
people
in
Roxbury,
because
we've
already
shared
the
burden
of
more
than
half
of
those
halfway
homes
or
low
threshold
housing.
So
where
are
we?
Where
do?
Where
do
you
stand
on
that
or
anyone
can
answer?
O
And
then
the
other
piece
is
to
the
officer
in
terms
of
you
kept
saying:
females,
females,
females
and
I
used
to
work
with
the
transgender
population
as
well
and
and
any
in
any
population.
There
are
also
males
that
are
being
trafficked
and
so
I'm
wondering.
If
what
can
you
say
about
that
and
have
you
actually
been
able
to
work
with
that
population
as
well,
so.
C
Equity
is
essential
to
what
we're
doing
at
the
Boston
Public
Health
commission,
as
as
I
know,
you
know,
I
am
excited
and
I
said
at
the
very
beginning
of
this
to
say
that
we
did
receive
this
three-year
Federal
Grant
from
the
office
of
minority
Health
focused
on
Community
Driven
approaches
to
address
structural
racism
in
public
health
and
those
dollars
are
specifically
being
used
to
advance
racial
Equity
efforts
in
regards
to
substance,
use
disorder
and
unsheltered
Status.
So
we're
using
that
to
do
the
evaluation
that
everyone
has
been
asking
about.
C
It's
just
that
we
just
got
that
funding,
so
we're
working
on
it
and
we
should
be
able
to
report
back
on
that
soon.
It
was
competitive
funding
and
I.
Think
congresswoman
Ayanna
Presley
sincerely
for
her
efforts
and
us
being
able
to
get
that
as
a
jurisdiction.
So
we're
excited
that
we
should
be
have.
We
should
have
more
data
for
you
and
we
should
be
able
to
talk
about
that.
More
I
want
to
add
that
one
of
the
things
we
do
want
to
do
within
that
Grant
is
focus
in
on
community
impacts,
so
we'll
be
advancing.
C
O
O
A
You
thank
you,
madam
chair,
thank
you
and
thank
you
to
this
panel.
I
hope
you
can
stay.
Thank
you
to
my
counselors
for
your
good
questions.
The
conversation
and
I
did
just
want
to
say
and
I
know.
Counselor
president
Flynn
also
agrees
because
I've
read
his
statements,
but
we
also
need
more
EMS
out
there
and
knowing
that
you're
working
a
lot
with
this
rise
in
mental
health
needs
and
the
recovery
services,
so
I
know
that
myself
and
many
of
our
colleagues
are
advocating
for
that.
A
K
B
K
That
was
never
conveyed
to
us,
the
community,
which
Saturday
is
a
one
year.
One
year
thing
a
pilot
so
pilot.
You
get
your
nose,
Under
the
Tent.
Now
it's
now,
it's
a
full
long-term
thing,
I
again,
if
that
were
a
facility
where
people
were
going
in
there
and
they
could
not
just
go
in
and
out
and
do
whatever
they
want,
they
had
to
go
in
there
for
at
least
three
months.
K
A
You
thank
you
panelists.
So
our
second
panel,
which
is
our
final
panel,
is
our
Advocates
experts
on
homeless,
substance,
abuse
and
Recovery
panel.
That
includes
John
McGann
CEO
of
the
Gavin
Foundation
Sue
Sullivan
executive,
director
of
the
new
market
bid
Dr
Jessica
Taylor
from
the
director
of
HIV
Prevention
Services
at
BMC,
judge
minahan
and
the
George
sturgios
vice
president
of
the
Worcester
Square
area,
neighborhood
association,
while
the
second
panel
is
settling
in
I,
was
going
to
go
to
two
public
testimony.
Public
testimony
is
two
minutes.
A
A
A
R
G
R
I'm
gonna
offer
some
comments
about
drug
smoking
supplies
I
understand
that
drug
smoking
supplies
are
highly
stigmatized
and
I'd
like
to
challenge
us
to
think
critically
about
why
the
distribution
of
supplies
for
smoking
drugs
is
thought
of
as
any
different
than
the
distribution
of
supplies
for
injecting
drugs.
I
believe
smoking
supplies
are
stigmatized
largely
because
of
the
racialized
and
deliberate
framing
of
crack
cocaine.
The
crystallized
form
of
cocaine,
which
can
only
be
smoked
as
predominantly
involving
members
of
the
black
community.
R
This
political
and
cultural
framing
that
dates
back
to
the
1980s
has
been
a
catalyst
for
drug
policies
in
the
U.S
that
have
specifically
targeted
and
criminalized
urban
black
communities
for
smoking.
Crack
cocaine
that
racist
drug
war
logic
and
the
racialized
framing
of
smokable
crack
cocaine
continues
to
erode
the
stigma
that
be
here
today
in
this
chamber
about
the
distribution
of
smoking
supplies
by
ensuring
people
who
use
drugs
via
inhalation
have
access
to
smoking
supplies,
including
pipes.
R
R
for
us
to
think
of
section
35
as
a
quote
treatment
option
and
one
which
would
also
justify
holding
people
against
their
will.
We
would
want
to
make
sure
there
would
be
very
compelling
evidence
suggesting
that
involuntary
commitment
for
substance
use
disorder
actually
resulted
in
consistently
positive
outcomes.
Unfortunately,
this
is
just
not
the
case.
Assessments
of
involuntary
commitment
have
offered
very
mixed
and
sometimes
quite
negative
results,
and
the
research
on
this
overall
is
very
limited,
for
this
reason
may
stay
on
the
Massachusetts
Society
of
addiction.
R
Medicine
has
said
it
does
not
support
involuntary
treatment,
particularly
when
committed
individuals
end
up
in
Correctional
Facilities,
as
so
often
happens
in
Massachusetts,
one
particular
harm
that
we
haven't
talked
about
yet
of
section
35
that
we
worry
about.
A
lot
is
when
it
comes
to
sectioning.
People
is
the
risk
of
fatal
overdose.
R
In
the
there
is
data
in
our
state
and
also
internationally
in
the
chapter
55
report
in
Massachusetts,
the
Department
of
Public
Health
found
that,
in
an
analysis
of
nearly
a
hundred
and
fifty
thousand
people
served
in
the
Massachusetts
treatment
system
over
several
years,
those
who
were
committed
to
involuntary
treatment
through
Section
35
were
more
than
twice
as
likely
to
dive
overdose
compared
to
those
who
opted
for
treatment
voluntarily.
Of
course,
those
committed
involuntarily
may
be
at
higher
risk
of
death
to
begin
with,
and
this
is
why
more
research
is
sorely
needed.
R
But
a
recent
study
published
this
year
in
2022
by
researchers
in
Sweden,
looked
at
involuntary
treatment
for
addiction
in
Sweden.
Over
nearly
two
decades,
they
found
an
increased
risk
of
death
due
to
drug
poisoning
overdosed
during
the
first
two
weeks
of
discharge
from
involuntary
care.
This
finding
is
not
surprising
and
reminds
us
of
the
120-fold
increased
overdose
risk
in
Massachusetts
of
people
released
from
prisons
and
jails
in
comparison
to
the
general
population.
R
A
P
Thank
you
for
your.
Thank
you.
For
your
time.
My
name
is
Rich
Baker
I'm,
a
resident
of
South
Boston
at
179,
Gold
Street
and
the
program
director
for
victory
programs
prevention,
support
services,
but
we're
seeing
two
programs
that
provide
harm
reduction
and
support
for
people
experiencing
homelessness
and
using
drugs.
I
come
to
you
today
to
share
my
experience
working
in
this
community
and
impress
upon
you
the
impact
and
value
of
evidence-based
Public
Health
interventions
that
restore
agency
to
individuals,
harm
reduction
involves
meeting
people
where
they
are.
It
means
offering
stabilizing
resources
and
support
without
precondition.
P
I
have
hundreds
of
anecdotes
that
demonstrate
this
success
and
a
vast
body
of
literature
that
supports
this
model.
Unlike
harm
reduction
in
community-based
Services,
section
35
or
Force
treatment
has
little
that
supports
it
as
a
long-term
strategy
to
address
substance,
use
and
addiction,
considering
it
as
a
solution.
A
solution
to
the
humanitarian
crisis
that
mass
and
cast
is
a
cause
for
great
concern.
We've
seen
the
misuse
of
section
35
lead
to
poor
health
outcomes,
death
and
further
mistrust
of
the
systems
that
were
designed
to
be
a
Lifeline
for
the
individuals
experiencing
hardship.
P
Just
last
year
we
saw
three
lives
lost,
involuntary
commitment
of
the
Suffolk
County
House
of
Correction
in
the
globe
report
on
a
similar
program
in
Plymouth
revealed,
unsafe,
unsanitary
and
dehumanizing
conditions.
Further,
our
own
data
from
Victory
programs
reflects
heavily
that
those
who
enter
residential
recovery
treatment
through
Section
35
path
remained
in
treatment,
significantly
shorter
period
of
time
than
those
who
do
not.
We
sometimes
use
this
catchphrase
that
they
come
in
the
front
door
and
immediately
go
out.
P
The
back
resolution
to
humanitarian
crisis
is
something
that
we
all
seek,
but
we
cannot
be
short-sighted
and
rely
on
unproven
punitive
interventions,
as
we've
seen
in
years
past.
Removing
people
from
the
street
through
these
means
offers
a
momentary
reprieve
for
those
seeking
change,
but
it
does
not
solve
root,
causes
or
support
sustainable,
long-term
change.
Indeed,
it
exacerbates
disenfranchisement.
It
disconnects
people
from
Community,
compassionate
health
care
and
further
disrupts
the
work
being
done
to
stabilize
lives.
P
Success
in
mass
and
cast
is
a
hard
measure
to
Define,
but
the
harm
reductionists,
Public,
Health
nurses
and
Community
Advocates,
who
show
up
every
day,
are
working
tirelessly
to
reach
our
common
goal
of
addressing
safety
and
health
concerns
of
the
people
living
in
this
community.
Every
conversation,
treatment,
linkage
or
placement
into
low
threshold
housing
gets
us
one
step
closer
to
that
goal
through
sustainable
and
empathic
means.
When
considering
methods
to
address
the
challenges,
this
community
faces
I
implore
you
to
further
invest
in
the
expansion
of
evidence-based
methods.
Thank
you.
Thank.
A
I
Thank
you
very
much
Madam
chair
and
all
the
counselors
and
everyone
who
came
before
I
had
about
five
six,
seven
pages
to
to
read
and
I'm
not
going
to
do
it
I'm
just
going
to
to
it,
because
I
don't
want
to
rehash
everything.
That's
been
said:
I'm
Sue,
Sullivan,
26,
Governor,
Andrew,
Road
Hingham,
although
at
often
I'd
like
to
say
that
my
address
is
225
South
Hampton,
Street
Boston,
because
I
spend
more
hours
here
than
I
spend
there.
I
Is
it
better
than
it
was
a
year
ago
absolutely
we
had
170
tents
and
people
being
sex,
trafficked
and
and
dying
in
these
tents
every
single
day
that
anyone
who
does
says
that's
not
true
I
I
question
it
is
it
better
than
it
was
2014
15
when
we
had
people
dying
in
the
streets,
I
was
calling
9-1-1,
two
or
three
times
a
day,
because
the
type
of
drugs
that
were
being
used
people
were
falling
into
the
streets.
Absolutely.
I
Does
that
it's
better
today.
Does
that
mean
it's
good?
No,
not
at
all.
We
still
have
a
hundred
to
two
hundred
people
out
on
the
streets
every
day,
coming
in
every
day,
new
people
we
I
applaud
meru
for
what
she
did
in
January
and
I
applaud,
Tanya,
Del,
Rio
and
and
Dr
ajukudo
and
their
team
for
absolutely
trying
to
make
a
difference
every
single
day,
okay,
Tanya's
down
there
with
us
on
the
street.
I
She
she
logs
in
almost
as
many
hours
down
there
as
I,
do
or
Carol
does,
and
and-
and
there
are
a
lot
of
different
things
being
tried.
Okay,
is
it?
Are
they
trying
to
get
people
into
recovery
and
housing?
Yes,
are
they?
Are
they
trying
to
decentralize
daytime
Services?
Yes,
are
they
trying
to
make
it
uncomfortable
for
people
down
there?
We
clean
those
streets,
we
clear
Atkinson,
Monday,
Wednesday,
Friday
and
Saturday.
I
Okay,
the
street
is
completely
cleared,
so
people
can't
form
encampments,
full
encampments
and
the
street
is
cleaned
and
then
they're
allowed
to
come
back
bottom
line,
though.
Why
are
people
coming
and
everybody
has
set
70
of
the
people
out
there,
whether
it's
60
or
70
or
80
percent,
are
new?
They
are.
I
I
So
as
long
as
there
is
a
a
there's,
fair
game
and
there's
you
know
a
a
market
for
it,
they're
coming
down
there
and
everyone
else
is
coming
because
they
can
get
the
drugs
there
and
then
once
there
they
stay
so
bottom
line.
And
then
the
question
is
who
is
affected
everyone
every
single
day,
the
businesses
and
the
employees
down
there?
The
residents,
everyone
who
comes
that
area
is
affected
by
what
goes
on
down
there.
There
are
safety
concerns,
they're,
a
quality
of
life
concerns.
I
I
Petty
theft,
that
kind
of
thing
the
stores,
when
you
talk
about
things
being
stolen
things,
walking
out
the
door
of
these
things,
what
we
are
finding
on
the
streets
when
we're
cleaning
the
streets
are
everything
that
you
can
imagine
that
have
walked
out
the
door
from
these
businesses
and
as
long
as
they're
allowed
to
do
that,
and
as
long
as
it's
allowed
to
to
to
continue
that
we
have
20
or
30
shopping
carts
that
they
can
put
everything
in
and
they
can.
You
know
Home
Depot
carts
and
everything
else.
I
In
my
perfect
world,
there
are
a
few
things
I
think
it
was
one
of
the
other
counselors
asked
about
the
Fairy
Godmother
I,
don't
I,
don't
believe
in
the
Fairy
Godmother.
But
what
I
do
know
is
that
what
we
can
do
we
need
that
long-term
treatment
facility
that
we've
been
fighting
for
Newmarket
and
the
South
End
put
it
out
in
2016,
we've
been
trying
to
get
it
on
Long
Island,
councilor
Baker's
been
a
huge
proponent
of
it.
I
A
S
Wonderful,
thank
you
so
much
chairperson
Murphy,
for
the
opportunity
to
be
here.
Counselors
really
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
to
come
and
address
this
group.
My
name
is
Dr
Jessica
Taylor
I
am
an
addiction,
medicine
and
HIV
specialist
at
Boston
Medical
Center.
Can
you
speak
into
the
mic?
Please
certainly.
G
D
S
Good
thing:
better:
yeah,
yeah,
wonderful,
thank
you!
Dr
Jessica,
Taylor
I
am
an
addiction,
medicine
and
HIV
specialist
at
Boston,
Medical
Center,
and
come
to
you
today,
as
a
citizen
of
Boston
as
resident
of
Boston,
as
well
as
representing
our
institution,
and
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
take
just
a
few
brief
minutes
to
really
ground
the
conversation
that
we're
having
today
in
the
clinical
context
of
what
we're
seeing
in
the
neighborhood
around
Boston,
Medical
Center
and
where
we've
been
discussing
this
afternoon.
S
S
This
is
something
that
our
Department
of
Public,
Health
and
Boston
Public
Health
commission
has
been
alerting
on
for
several
years
and
really
has
has
continued
driven
by
the
crisis
of
fentanyl
of
multiple
substance.
Use
and
really,
you
know
really
calls
upon
us
to
bring
all
of
our
resources
together
to
support
people
in
avoiding
HIV
infection.
S
I
have
a
few
statistics
here
and
I'm
happy
to
share
these
slides
just
about
the
surge
in
HIV
infections
that
we've
seen,
which
include
a
massive
increase
in
new
HIV
infections.
Impacting
young
people
in
our
communities
and
I
also
want
to
point
out
that,
because
of
the
context
of
fentanyl,
which
requires
many
more
injection
events
per
day
compared
to
traditional
heroin.
If
we
want
to
describe
it
as
traditional,
the
risk
has
really
gone
up
quite
a
bit.
S
And
so
a
majority
of
people
who
inject
substances
in
Boston
actually
have
enough
risk
as
to
mute
criteria
for
HIV
pre-exposure,
prophylaxis
or
prep,
which
is
taking
medication.
To
prevent
HIV
hear
our
data
from
the
Boston
Public
Health
commission,
as
well
as
the
Department
of
Public
Health,
just
demonstrating
the
the
cluster
of
new
HIV
infections
that
are
injection
associated
in
in
our
communities
and
I
also
want
to
mention
a
word
about
viral
hepatitis
and
specifically
Hepatitis
C.
S
What
we're
seeing
across
the
state
is
that
new
hepatitis,
C
virus
infections
are
one
concentrated
in
young
people
and
two
driven
by
injection
drug
use
and
that's
relevant
to
the
conversations
we're
having
today
about
how
to
reduce
injection
events
and
decrease.
The
risks
that
are
associated
with
injection
I
also
want
to
ground
Us
in
the
crisis
that
we're
talking
about
as
far
as
overdose
deaths
we,
this
is
truly
I,
think
arguably
the
Public
Health
crisis
of
Our
Generation,
certainly
of
my
career.
S
We
are
seeing
overdose
death
rates
that
have
not
been
seen
previously
and
they
are
inequitably
distributed,
and
that
has
to
be
a
part
of
this
conversation.
We
are
seeing
substantial
excess
mortality
among
black
residents
among
other
residents
of
color
and
that
that's
something
that
we
need
to
really
Center
and
think
about
how
to
make
our
services
more
Equitable,
more
accessible,
lower
in
barrier,
so
that
the
benefits
of
evidence-based
strategies
reach
all
of
those
who
need
them
and
stand
to
benefit.
S
Now.
What
do
we
consider
evidence-based
services?
So
I
come
to
you
here
as
a
physician
and
representing
a
medical
center,
and
so
you
know,
naturally
we
are
focused
on
the
science
and
what
the
evidence
tells
us
is
effective
and
works,
and
these
include
the
strategies
that
are
on
the
slide.
So
of
course,
naloxone
I
have
some
in
my
bag.
I
hope
we
all
are
all
carrying
it.
S
This
is
an
incredibly
effective
tool
to
prevent
death
to
save
lives
in
the
event
of
an
overdose
incredibly
relevant
in
the
era
of
fentanyl,
which
is
unpredictable
and
which
we
know
is,
is
the
driver
of
the
surgeon
overdose
test.
We
need
to
provide
low
barrier
HIV
and
hepatitis
testing
and
treatment.
That
means
if
someone
wants
to
be
tested
today,
let's
make
it
happen.
Let's
do
it
in
the
next
15
minutes.
Let's
make
it
as
easy
as
possible,
so
that
people
know
their
status.
S
We
need
to
deliver
HIV,
pre
and
post-exposure
profile,
access
and
I'm
happy
to
speak
about
how
we
do
that
in
our
addiction
programs.
These
include
other
traditional
harm
reduction
strategies.
We've
spoken
a
lot
about
transitional
and
low
threshold
housing
today
and
medications
for
opioid
use.
Disorder
are
actually
one
of
our
most
potent
evidence-based
strategies
that
decrease
substance,
use
that
are
in
support
of
entry
into
recovery,
that
decrease
HIV
acquisition
and
other
risk.
S
Behaviors
we've
talked
about
safer
consumption
equipment
and
I'll
Echo
the
comments
by
Dr
Gada
by
Dr
Jacob
about
the
the
relevance
of
safer
smoking
supplies
both
in
the
data
that
we
have
for
them,
which
is
that
they
reduce
injection
events.
That's
that's
really
an
incredibly
important
goal
as
far
as
reducing
overdose,
reducing
HIV
and
hepatitis
C
acquisition.
A
S
Have
a
short
tether,
yeah!
Sorry,
I'll
lean,
thank
you,
but
you
know,
as
far
as
the
safer
smoking
supplies,
here's
here's
what
we
know
from
the
data.
We
know
that
they
are
associated
with
fewer
injection
events,
and
that
is
in
service
of
the
goal
of
decreasing
overdose,
HIV
and
viral
hepatitis
acquisition.
We
know
that
Distributing,
safer
smoking
supplies
also
reduces
the
harms
from
smoking
substances
in
general.
S
So
if
someone
does
not
have
access
to
safer
supplies
and
is
using
something
like
a
can,
a
light
bulb,
those
are
much
higher
risk
for
injury
and
infection
acquisition,
and
we
also
really
need
to
hone
on
this
on
this.
As
a
Health
Equity
issue,
as
Dr
Gita
alluded
to,
we
have
a
a
history
of
under
response
to
substance
crises
in
communities
of
color,
and
we
know
that
smoking
is,
is
more
represented
in
communities
of
color
compared
to
injection
historically.
S
So
this
is
something
that
we
really
need
to
deliver
on
in
order
to
be
Equitable
in
in
our
communities
and
I
also
include
fentanyl,
test
strips,
which
can
be
an
important
tool
for
people
that
are
seeking
to
avoid
Fentanyl
and
want
the
opportunity
to
test
their
substance
and
then
change
their
substance.
Use
Behavior,
so
I'll
quickly
highlight
three
successes
and
then
pause
so
I.
You
know
I
want
to
talk
about
I,
guess
first
I'll
say
HIV
pre-exposure
prophylaxis.
S
This
is
an
incredibly
powerful
tool
for
HIV
prevention
and
I
include
some
numbers
on
this
slide
from
the
faster
Pass
Program,
which
has
been
able
to
prescribe
prep
or
post-exposure
prophylaxis
to
approximately
20
of
eligible
patients
in
our
program,
which
really
represents
a
very
high
rate
of
delivery
compared
to
national
data.
When
we
look
at
systematic
reviews,
we've
also
seen
incredible
gains
from
co-locating
Clinical
Services,
with
low
threshold
transitional
housing,
including
treatment
entry,
as
well
as
moving
on
to
long-term
housing
and
happy
to
speak
more
more
about
that.
S
So
for
the
last
year
and
a
half
in
in
Faster
pass
in
The
Roundhouse,
we
have
treated
opioid
withdrawal
if
someone
comes
in
on
an
emergency
basis
in
opioid
withdrawal
with
methadone
under
a
regulation
known
as
the
72-hour
Rule,
and
while
we
do
that,
we
have
three
days
very
time
pressured
to
link
to
ongoing
Care
at
an
opioid
treatment
program,
also
known
as
a
methadone
clinic,
we've
looked
at
our
early
data.
Our
linkage
rates
are
higher
than
I
could
have
ever
hoped.
S
So
among
the
people
that
we
refer,
87
are
linking
meaning
attending
the
opioid
treatment
program
for
a
dose
of
methadone
and
nearly
60
are
retained
at
one
month.
That's
really
the
type
of
service
that
we
are
trying
to
deliver,
as
Physicians
as
evidence-based
providers
to
support
people
in
entering
treatment
who
are
interested
in
medication.
So,
thank
you
very
much
again
for
the
time
today.
A
A
T
T
I
I,
both
with
the
drug
court
and
the
mental
health
court
and
with
Section
35
I
did
see
people
go
into
involuntary
commitment,
involuntary
treatment
and
I
did
see.
Success
and
people
came
back
and
thanked
the
courts
for
that.
I
know
that
judge
Coffey
runs
a
very
robust
program
in
Boston,
Municipal
Court
you've
got
multiple
drug
courts
running
and
The
BMC
as
well.
So
I
would
just
say
that
the
the
standard
and
I
sent
out
I
hope
you
received
it.
There
were
questions
on
Where.
T
The
beds
are
and
there's
a
paper
that
shows
where
the
beds
are
in
section
35..
This
isn't
where
people
just
go
and
get
housed
and
they
just
lock
the
door
on
them.
They're
medical
professionals
in
all
of
these
programs
they're
a
mental
health
professionals
in
these
programs
that
call
your
attention
specifically
to
the
two
programs
that
are
run
by
the
Department
of
Mental
Health
that
are
for
duly
diagnosed
mentally
ill
and
substance,
use,
disordered
individuals
and
those
programs
which
I've
toured
every
one
of
these
programs.
T
The
person
has
to
be
and
I'm
just
going
to
quote
from
the
matter
of
am
which
is
a
2018
case
that
in
the
reasonably
short
term
in
days
or
weeks,
or
rather
than
in
rather
than
in
months,
we
may
accept
that
the
degree
of
the
anticipated
physical
harm
is
serious
approaches
death,
so
the
people
that
are
getting
sectioned
or
not.
You
know
people
that
are
going
down
the
slope
of
addiction
and
that
they're
struggling
but
they're
they
have
some
successes
and
they're
going
into
treatment.
T
These
are
individuals
who
are
near
death
and
the
judges
that
make
these
decisions,
make
it
on
that
criteria.
So
it's
a
near-death
person
that
goes
into
a
section.
35
and
I
applaud
the
Boston
police,
because
they're
being
careful
of
not
bringing
families
into
court
that
will
not
meet
the
criteria,
because
what
Lieutenant
Messina
said
is
absolutely
correct.
T
It's
very
difficult
for
families
and
I
have
said
denied
and
I've
seen
what
happens
in
families
and
it's
very
very
difficult
for
the
families
and
then
they
they
might
even
be
reluctant
to
ask
for
help
in
the
future.
So
the
Boston
police
are
up
front
on
this
and
they're
doing
a
great
job.
As
far
as
that's
concerns
really
good
news.
T
I
know,
there's
a
study
out
there
that
says
that
people
have
a
sectioned
or
have
a
higher
rate
of
death.
I,
don't
know
that
study
I
haven't
seen
it
I'm
aware
of
a
lot
of
studies,
but
I
will
just
say
this.
It
may
very
well
be
that
the
people
who
are
sectioned
are
at
much
higher
risk,
so
you're
going
to
expect
you're
going
to
see
a
mortality
rate.
That's
higher
I,
don't
know
that
study
I'd
like
to
see
it
and
the
controls
that
were
used
to
make
that
study.
T
But
let
me
just
say
that
all
of
these
programs,
including
the
sheriffs
and
I
I,
actually
spoke
to
sheriff
cochi's
team
and
I
was
out
there.
I
know
many
of
you
have
been
out
to
Hampden
County,
he's
running
two
programs
and
he's
working
really
hard
to
do
it
in
an
evidence-based
way.
All
of
them
are
offering
medically
assisted
treatment
and
they're,
not
handing
people
back
to
the
community
without
a
robust,
handoff
or
re-entry
and
medically
assisted
treatment
and
and
programming,
so
they're
putting
a
lot
of
time
and
effort.
T
One
has
three
prongs:
two
of
them
are
under
our
police
power,
and
one
of
them
is
under
our
parents,
Patriot
power.
So
the
police
power
is
suicide,
homicide,
those
are
sort
of
under
the
public
safety
side
and
then
there's
a
parents,
Patriots
element
which
the
legislature
has
had
there
since
the
1970s,
and
that
is
that
the
person's
judgment
is
so
affected
that
they
are
unable
to
care
for
themselves
in
the
community
and
that's
a
legitimate
statute.
T
That's
out
there
that
is
utilized,
and
so
that's
the
piece
that
often
is
used
in
section
35
and
in
my
drug
court.
What
I
had
was
individuals
who
were
in
the
court
system
and
would
I
had
one
particular
case.
I
will
just
share
with
you
where
I
had
twins
in
my
drug
court
and
one
of
them
died
of
an
overdose.
The
other
one
was
continuing
to
be
programmed
through
our
our
drug
court
and
we
used
evidence-based
practices.
T
T
T
That
was
there
from
the
Department
of
Mental
Health,
who
helped
us
make
assessments
so
that
our
mental
health
court
had
the
right
people
and
our
drug
court
had
the
right
people
and
we
didn't
make
mistakes
on
that
and
he
said
well
after
she
overdosed.
My
son
was
looking
to
get
the
same
drug,
so
he
could
use
it
because
it
would
have
been
a
great
High.
T
Well,
his
his
sister
died
from
that
drug
and
he
was
fully
willing
and
able
and
and
wanting
to
use
the
very
same
drug
that
killed
her.
So
those
are
the
section
35
family
stories.
I
know
everybody
in
this
room,
including
my
own,
has
sectioned,
family
members
and,
and
so
I
would
leave
with
this
thought
and
mention
it
that
I
don't
think
we're
in
a
position
to
take
anything
off
the
table,
including
section
35,
and
that
the
state
has
put
a
tremendous
amount
of
time,
effort
and
money
into
these
programs.
T
The
sheriffs
are
on
board
the
Department
of
Mental
Health.
The
statute
changed
to
allow
dmh
to
accept
respondents
under
35.
It
didn't
exist
until
recently
and
they
stepped
up.
These
programs
are
wonderful,
a
high
point
and
Dan
mumbauer
has
done
a
great
job
and
I
can't
say
enough
about
the
guy.
Next
to
me,
just
really
has
been
there.
I
had
people
on
speed,
dial
and
I
was
on
the
phone
on
the
bench
all
day,
so
I'm
happy
to
answer
any
questions.
T
The
last
piece
is
there
is
a
criminogenic
piece
to
substance,
use
disorder
and
it's
a
very
difficult
line
for
the
police
very
difficult
because
they
don't
want
to
over
arrest.
But
on
the
other
hand,
you
can't
look
the
other
way
when
people
are
getting
assaulted
or
there's
crimes
being
committed
in
their
presence.
So
again,
I
want
to
thank
the
Boston
police
for
their
efforts,
they're
a
model
really
for
the
state
to
look
to.
So
that's
my
five.
Q
Q
Q
How
and
why
our
agency
began
I
found
that
Jim
Gavin
was
a
parole
officer
who
understood
the
importance
of
treatment
as
a
way
to
keep
Parolees
slash
returning
citizens
from
returning
to
incarceration.
That
was
back
in
1962
prior
to
the
Commonwealth,
developing
and
division
of
alcoholism,
and
then
a
division
of
drug
addiction
I
mentioned
that
because
that's
that's
where
we're
grounded
from
that's
that's
who
we
are
as
an
agency.
Our
mission
is
the
restoration
of
dignity.
Q
I
say
that,
because
they
do
not
want
to
see
individuals
struggling
with
addiction
and
Behavioral
Health
end
up
in
jail,
but
I
do
believe
someone
has
to
be
the
adult
in
the
room.
I
know
my
thoughts
on
this
issue
are
controversial
and
not
always
welcomed,
but
I
feel
compelled
to
share
my
thoughts
with
you
today.
Q
Q
I
think
there
are
four
types
of
people
at
mass
and
Cass
drug
dealers
who
should
face
consequences
in
order
to
clean
up
the
area,
individuals,
selling
and
trading
women.
There
should
be
a
special
place
for
them
and
if
any
of
us
can
look
ourselves
in
the
mirror
and
say
we're
doing
all
we
can
we're
lying
to
ourselves.
Q
Once
the
first
two
groups
are
dealt
with,
we
can
focus
on
the
people
with
mental
illness,
severe
mental
illness
who
need
to
get
on
proper
medication
and
treatment
and
housing.
And
then
we
can
deal
with
the
people
with
addiction,
the
co-occurring
disorder
people.
We
need
to
get
them
into
treatment,
follow
up
with
them
with
educational,
vocational
training
and
case
management,
recovery,
Support,
Services,
section
35
is
a
tool
that
is
designed
to
safely
and
compassionately
detox
people
and
provide
them
treatment
and
Aftercare
services.
Q
I
encourage
you
to
be
the
adult
of
Roman
use
every
tool
at
your
disposal,
including
section
35
I,
have
some
additional
information
on
the
rap
program
of
which
the
judge
had
mentioned.
Regarding
section
35
for
programs
for
your
review,
which
I
will
turn
into
you,
I
appreciate
that
I
do
have
some
some
some
data
that
I
think
is
important
to
to
review.
2016.
Q
Q
Change
our
approach
to
this
harm
reduction
as
a
place.
There's
no
question
about
it,
there's
more
than
one
path
to
recovery,
but
it
can't
be
the
only
path.
Many
years
ago
we
were
considered
a
closed
mind
and
unwilling
to
embrace
all
the
methods
of
treatment.
Beyond
AAA
in
the
12
Steps
we've
opened
that
door
and
we've
embraced
it
there's
more
than
one
way,
but
it
seems
like
the
pendulum
has
swung
so
far.
Q
The
other
way
that
there's
no
such
thing
as
sobriety
or
abstinence
or
anything
everything
is
harm
reduction
in
client
choice
and
we
have
to
accept
that
their
choices
got
them
where
they
are,
we
need
to
help
them.
They
need
our
help.
I
implore
you
to
use
everything
at
your
disposal.
Thank
you.
Thank.
A
You
and
before
you
start
George,
just
one
thing:
I
do
want
to
say
thank
you
for
being
here
and
I
am
happy
that
we
were
able
to
assemble
experts,
people
working
there.
We
have
the
business,
we
have
the
hospitals,
we
have
the
judge,
we
have
John
mcgannon
recovery,
but
we
also
and
I've
always
said
that
we
have
to
make
sure
we're
listening
to
the
voices
of
everyone,
and
you
are
here
to
represent
the
neighbors
and
I
do
know
everyone
in
this
room
knows
Steve
Fox.
U
U
Of
course,
the
business
district
even
more
and
Roxbury,
also
but
okay
I-
want
to
concentrate
I,
actually
I
agree
with
Sue
that
the
the
situation
has
gotten
somewhat
better.
I
am
not
as
optimistic
as
she
is
about
it.
I
have
to
remember
that
mayor
Wu,
back
on
January
10th
promised
four
things.
One
was
to
continue.
Outreach
two
was
to
take
down
the
tents
and
put
people
in
low
threshold.
Housing
three
was
to
make
it
safe
for
residents,
businesses
and
the
people
seeking
services
and
form
was
actually
to
reconstruct
the
the
area.
U
Three
and
four
she's
totally
bombed
on
number
one
should
just
continue
what
other
people
did
and
number
three
she
canceled
Kim
Janie's
I
I
can't
give
her
full
credit,
because
Kim
Janey
actually
had
a
program,
a
program
that
would
have
gotten
all
those
people
off
the
streets
and
and
and
and
and
Michelle
stopped
that
and
started.
It
started
her
own
program
with
her
own
name
on
it.
So
I
would
give
more
credit
to
Kim
Janey
on
this
than
I
would
to
Michelle.
Will
anyway,
I
want
to
talk
about
four
myths.
U
What
the
first
myth
is
that
mass
and
Cass
is
just
sort
of
the
natural
place
for
the
Gatherings
for
for
for
the
open
air,
drug
market
and
substance
abuse,
part
of
that
and
I've
heard
I
heard
Aaron
say
this
earlier,
and
it's
not
true
because
I
was
the
president
during
this
time
and
I
know
this.
It
did
not
start
when
mayor
Walsh,
closed
Long,
Island,
okay,
I
started
hearing
about
needles
on
the
ground,
and
we
started
seeing
concentrations
of
drug
addicts,
substance,
abuse,
disorder,
people
with
substance,
abuse
disorder
in
2013.
U
Right
after
and
the
I'd
say,
the
original
sin
was
Boston:
Public
Health
used
to
have
Vans
going
into
every
neighborhood
Distributing
needles,
A
decentralized
system
that
went
to
where
the
addicts
were,
and
then
they
decided
that
they
were
going
to
centralize
it
on
Albany,
Street,
the
corner
of
Albany
and
Mass
Ave,
and
they
had
they
began
by
handing
out
150
000
needles
a
year.
So
500
a
day
now
they're
up
to
2,
000
I
heard
somebody
say
a
million.
U
So
maybe
three
thousand
a
day,
if
you
have
that
many
needles,
that
they
did
it
to
attract
people,
they
attracted
all
addicts
in
the
city
and
then
further
on
around
all
the
towns
around
it
and
now
across
the
country.
Everyone
who
gets
a
free
needle
needs
a
drug
dealer
every
so
you've
got
two
thousand
needles.
Three
thousand
needles
you've
got
two
thousand
three
thousand
drug
deals.
The
drug
has
made
it
so
easy
for
drug
dealers,
it's
shooting
fish
in
a
barrel.
They
don't
have
to
go
anywhere.
U
Everyone
heads
over-
and
this
was
the
creation
of
the
of
the
open
air
drug
Market.
Okay,
that's
so
that's
the
first
myth.
This
was
I,
lay
this
entirely
on
Boston
Public
Health,
two.
The
second
myth
is
that
and
I
hear
this
a
lot
from
people
in
public
health.
Of
course
somebody
else
is
to
blame.
They
always
say
the
law
enforcement
approaches
to
blame.
We
have
to
do
something
else.
We
have
to
do
harm
reduction
and
we've
never
tried
that,
and
this
happened
back
in
when
they
opened
the
roundhouse.
U
We
heard
from
Michelle
Wu
and
Monica
Burrell
that
we've
got
to
try
harm
reduction.
We
can't
take
a
safety
approach
and
we
said:
we've
never
tried
a
safety
approach,
we've
always
used,
we've
always
done
harm
reduction
and
if
you
just
apply
harm
reduction
and
apply
it
in
one
place,
not
across
the
state
but
Center,
it
all
make
a
sanctuary
or
what
I
would
call
a
death
trap
for
people
to
come
to,
they
will
come,
and
so
we,
this
is
lost.
My
thought
for
a
second
excuse
me:
it's
a
death
trap.
U
Yes,
death
trap,
so
this
is
it's.
This
is
what
happens
if
you
practice
harm
reduction,
not
across
the
state
across
the
country,
but
in
one
place
you
attract
everyone
in
myth,
three
that
housing
first
is
better
than
treatment.
First,
in
the
first
place,
they're
always
comparing
housing
first
to
a
treatment
first
system
that
is
broken.
It's
underfunded
as
soon
as
you
get
out
of
detox,
they
throw
you
back
on
the
street.
U
They
will
tell
you
what
housing
first
is
really
good
at
is
getting
people
into
housing.
And
if
you
actually
look
at
the
statistics,
it's
not
good.
There's
one.
There
is
one
very
small
study
from
2011
that
claims
that
you
get
better
recovery
possibilities
out
of
housing
first
than
you
do
out
of
treatment.
U
First,
there's
actually
two
big
studies
out
of
Toronto
and
Ottawa
recent
I
think
2014,
2016
and
I
can
send
those
studies
around
that
claim
that
you
have
a
better
chance
of
reuniting
with
your
family
and
getting
off
drugs
if
you're
living
on
the
street,
because
you
got
a
reason
to
you:
get
people
into
housing,
they
got
a
prop,
they
don't
have
the
one
of
their
problems
been
eliminated.
Now
they
can
concentrate
on
drugs.
U
The
fourth
myth
is
that
strong
incentives
for
treatment
do
not
work.
That's
false.
We
all
know
and
I
think
someone
was
saying
this
early.
We
all
know
people
who've
been
forced
into
treatment
and
they
come
out
sober
Michael
Botticelli,
for
example,
in
the
late
90s,
was
told
by
a
judge
either
go
into
treatment
or
you're
going
into
jail.
He
became
the
drug
czar
for
Obama
and
the
head
of
the
gray
consenter.
U
So
this
happens
all
the
time,
and
we
also
know
that
lots
of
people,
lots
and
lots
of
people
voluntarily
go
in
and
they
fail
and
they
fail
and
they
fail.
So
it's
not
voluntary,
always
works,
involuntary,
never
works.
Sometimes
one
works.
Sometimes
the
other
works.
We
also
have
the
Portugal
example
Portugal
over
the
last
20
years
had
a
20
years
ago.
U
It
had
huge
drug
problem,
huge
HIV
problem,
they've
done
very
good
work
by
not
they
kept
drugs
illegal,
but
they
did
criminalized
it
and
they
get
put
a
lot
of
power
in
on
in
the
hands
of
what
they
call
the
dissuasion
committee.
So,
if
you're
arrested
you
had
a
lawyer,
you
had
a
doctor,
you
had
a
social
worker,
they
gave
them
lots
of
incentives
to
to
give
them
very
persuasive
reasons
to
get
out
of
okay,
so
I
only
have
one
second,
okay,
we
think
in
the
neighborhood.
U
The
first
thing
we
have
to
do
is
close
the
open-air
drug
Market.
We
think
the
second
thing
we
have
to
do
is
use
the
strong
incentives
like
in
Portugal
number
three
close
The
Roundhouse
The
Roundhouse
has
been
a
failure.
They
have
25,
they
told
us,
oh
we're
going
to
have
everyone
on
mat.
It's
25
percent
of
people.
75
percent
are
going
back
and
forth
for
drugs
every
day.
They
cannot
give
you
a
number
of
the
they.
Never,
as
you
know,
Frank
and
Mike.
They
will
never
give
you
a
number
of
the
people
who
have
recovered.
U
Oh,
it's
a
very
convenient
opaque
process.
We
never
know,
but
we've
I've
pushed
them.
They
cannot
give
you
a
number
and
it
doesn't
look
very
good.
I'll
tell
you
that
third,
the
needle
exchanges
have
to
be
returned
all
over
the
city.
We
need
to
bring
the
mobile
Vans
and
distribute
it
everywhere.
Fourth,
the
Administration
has
to
start
listening
to
the
neighborhoods,
the
neighborhoods.
We
are
not
experts,
but
we
have
experience.
U
We
know
the
history,
you
can't
just
parachute
a
doctor
or
somebody
with
an
mph
and
tell
and
have
them
apply
some
rule
book
that
they
got
taught
in
school.
Doctors
also
drink
the
Kool-Aid.
Remember
it
was
doctors
who
who
kick-started
the
opioid
epidemic
by
telling
people.
Oh
you
can't
get
addicted
to
Oxycontin
there's
a
we
should
have
respect
for
doctors
for
medical
expertise,
but
we
should
also
step
away
and
say:
is
this?
Is
this
just
the
product
of
their
education
or
is
this
something
they
actually
know?
A
We
have
been
joined
by
our
Sheriff
Steve
Tompkins
welcome.
Would
you
like
to
join,
come
down
and
join
us?
Okay?
Well,
thank
you
for
being
here
to
listen
and
thank
you
all
for
keeping
it
to
a
minimal
time.
I
know
we
are
getting
close
to
the
end
of
our
time,
but
I
do
want
to
go
to
our
councilors
now
I'm
going
to
pass
but
Council
of
Flaherty
and
then
we'll
go
to
consulate,
Baker,
counselor,
Fernandez,
Anderson
and
then
Council
illusion.
H
Thank
you,
madam
chair,
and,
obviously
a
brief,
obviously
thank
the
panel
for
the
time
and
talents
for
this
whole
process.
So
we
go
back
a
lot
of
years.
I
know
you've
been
on
the
front
lines
on
behalf
of
your
Association
and
working
with
your
team.
I
know
Carol
Ben
here
doctor.
Thank
you
for
your
presentation.
Judge.
Obviously,
he's
done
tremendous
work
saving
lives
over
in
the
courthouse
with
effectively
using
section
35's
glad.
You
mentioned
the
great
work
that
the
girl
reference
was
that
he's
pure
gold.
H
H
H
You
all
deserve
a
tax
abatement
frankly,
as
well
as
the
businesses,
because
of
what
you
put
up
with
my
line
of
questioning
I
would
like
to
go
to
the
dock,
that
what
I
think
I
was
hearing
and
I
show
up
at
spaces
and
I
just
for
me.
I
just
tell
it
like
it
is
right.
What
I
think
I
was
hearing
is
that
you
there's
a
preference
from
public
health
officials.
They
want
to
move
folks
from
the
needle
to
the
pipe,
so
you
transition.
H
S
So,
thank
you
for
the
question
sure.
So
one
benefit
of
safer
smoking
supplies
is
decreasing
injection,
and
that
is
a
trajectory
that
helps
many
people
reduce
the
risk
associated
with
your
use.
It
certainly
can
be
a
pathway
towards
treatment,
entry
and
I.
Guess
I
also
want
to
emphasize
that
sometimes
we
hear
framing
about
treatment
and
harm
reduction
being
sort
of
at
odds
with
one
another,
and
these
are
actually
really
complementary
strategies.
I'm
a
physician,
so
I
often
feel
like
my
tool
is
medications.
That's
that's
what
I
deliver!
That's
what
I'm
the
most
comfortable
with
that's?
S
S
There
is
a
process
and
a
trajectory
when
someone
makes
the
decision
to
enter
treatment
to
where
they
might
consider
themselves
sober
right
or
be
on
medication
consistently,
and
our
job
is
to
deliver
the
evidence-based
Care
by
the
medication
rate
and
also
keep
them
safe
in
in
that
process,
and
that
can
often
include
ways
to
decrease
injection
events
by
using
safer
strategies
that
are
less
likely
to
be
associated
with
acquiring
HIV
viral
hepatitis
and,
frankly,
overdose.
In
the
context
of
what
we're
seeing
in
in
Massachusetts
and
in
Boston.
So.
H
Is
this
so
and
my
metrics
obviously
recovery
so
is
the
based
on
your
training
experiences?
Is
someone
have
a
better
shot
at
recovery
if
they're
not
using
a
needle
as
opposed
to
a
pipe,
so
we're
going
to
get
a
transition
from
heroin
and
and
Fentanyl
to
to
crack
and
methamphetamine?
Is
there
a
higher
likelihood
of
success
based
on
sort
of
your
training
and
experience
in
that
space.
S
Yeah,
so
my
understanding
of
the
evidence
as
a
physician
is
that
any
engagement
and
harm
reduction
services,
including
around
safer
smoke
and
supplies,
including
certainly
around
syringes,
is
associated
with
treatment.
Injury,
and
we
heard
some
of
the
data
this
morning
from
you
know,
from
a
Boston
Public
Health
commission
colleagues
any
opportunity
that
we
have
to
make
a
connection
to
engage.
S
That's
also
a
time
that
we're
talking
about
treatment,
entry
and
offering
those
services,
and-
and
we
really
don't
want
to
miss
the
chance
to
connect
with
someone
that
may
not
want
syringes
but
may
be
interested
in
safer
smoking
supplies,
because
we
also
get
to
talk
about
treatment
options.
We
also
get
to
talk
about
residential
care.
We
also
get
to
talk
about
the
the
medications
that
we
have
available
and
and
other
supports.
Thank.
H
You
Dr
interesting
in
shifting
to
the
person
who
I
chose
the
most
trust
the
most
in
this
John.
In
your
experience,
whether
it's
someone
that's
addicted
to
heroin,
someone
that's
addicted
to
crack
someone
that's
addicted
to
methamphetamine
in
terms
of
the
detox
process,
the
success
rates
Etc.
Can
you
just
share
us
with
your
front
row
experience
as
to
is
there
any
science
behind
transitioning
someone
from
a
needle
to
pipe
and
to
get
off
of
heroin
and
get
onto
crack
I?
Don't
have
any
data.
Q
That
would
suggest
one
over
the
other
I
do
know
that
it's
different
protocols,
there's
really
no
medication,
no
assistance
to
help
people
get
off
of
methamphetic.
You
know
cocaine
is
so
it's
basically
just
bed
and
water.
When
you're
trying
to
detox
somebody
from
those
substances
opposed
to
heroin
offending
all,
then
you
would
use
other
substances
to
taper
them
down
methadone,
Etc,
to
tape
them
down
to
safely
detox
them
and
move
them
onto
treatment.
One
of
the
concerns
that
I
have
as
a
citizen
and
no
data
to
back
it
up
is,
is
people
move
to
methamphetamine?
Q
They
become
much
more
aggressive,
so
one
of
the
things
we've
had
to
do
in
our
facilities
and
in
our
detox
facility
is
to
make
sure
that
we
train
our
staff
to
be.
You
know
the
head
on
a
swivel
and
know
where
they
are,
because
you
know
how
people
are
going
to
respond
because
they
could
be
in
psychosis,
have
to
be
enough
for
several
days
at
a
time.
So
there's
some
danger
there
as
well.
S
Sure
I'm
happy
to
speak
to
that.
You
know,
I,
think
the
methamphetamine
crisis
there's
no
doubt
that
that
has
has
generated
huge
safety
concerns
that
that
feel
different
than
than
they
did
five
six
years
ago,
when,
when
we
were
dealing
with
more
sort
of
single
opioid
use
disorder
situations,
the
methamphetamine
certainly
has
arrived
long
before
discussion
of
some
of
these
harm
reduction
strategies
and
it
I
think
pretends
its
own
risks.
And
you
know
we
do
have
to
really
dig
deep
on
the
strategies
that
we
leverage.
S
We
do
sometimes
use
medications
which,
which
are
off
label
for
methamphetamine
use
disorder,
but
but
have
some
preliminary
data,
albeit
not
to
the
threshold
of
FDA
approval,
and
we
do
have
really
excellent
evidence-based
strategies,
which
are
predominantly
Behavioral
Health,
focused
to
support
people
with
stimuli
use
disorders
in
treatment
entry.
Contingency
management
is
the
example
that
I
consider
to
have
the
best
evidence
that
involves
supporting
people
and
providing
incentives
for
things
like
avoiding
stimulant
use.
So
I'd
be
happy
to
answer
more
questions
about
that.
S
H
H
It
started
with
a
canopy
or
it
started
with
with
pot
in
your
experience
in
terms
of
those
that
are
entering
or
is
having
a
piece
of
a
Gateway
process
is
up
in
your
experience
in
terms
of
in
the
treatment
recovery
world
with
individuals
coming
forward
and
how
it
could
start
and
where
it
could
started
and
I
know
this
on
that
inside
of
what
a
back
pain
or
a
toothache
and
they
were
over
prescribed,
they
had
a
dentist
or
a
doctor.
That
was
a
little
Cavalier
or
frivolous
in
terms
of
scripts.
I.
H
Q
I
only
answer
that
in
two
different
buckets,
if
I
could
for
us,
you
know
I'll
go
back
to
Cushing
those
20
years
of
working
with
adolescence
here
when
we
in-
and
there
was
a
time
where
our
needle
use
was
higher
in
the
Adolescent
program
than
in
our
adult
residential
programs.
But
we
would
always
you
know
and
I'm
not
saying
that
to
everybody,
every
kid
that
smokes
grass
is
going
to
become
an
hour
and
act
that
would
never
be
be
so
bold
is
to
make
a
statement
like
that.
Q
Q
We
we
know
in
our
adult
programs
that
we
do
have
adult
adults
that
work
in
the
unions
that
get
hurt
on
the
job,
that
sort
of
thing
and
then
they
get
you
know,
have
operations
and
get
get
prescribed,
opioid
medication
and
develop
a
habit.
That's
that's!
Actually,
you
know
that
happens
and
those
people
may
not
have
started
on
grass
but
started
actually
on
the
pills.
Q
K
K
I'm
I'm
a
little
more
into
thinking
around
George
I
I
can't
see
how
anybody
thinks
that
what's
happening
there
to
today,
even
though
there
aren't
tents
there,
I
can't
see
how
we
say
it's
better
than
or
I
I
mean
it
just
seems
like
it's
totally
out
of
control,
but
but
we'll
leave
it
at
that
judge.
Thank
you
for
clarifying
and
making
the
difference
on.
What's
different
now
about
section
35
I
think
we
get
hit
when
you
mention
section,
35
people
start
talking
about
incarcerating
people
and
criminalizing
drug
use.
K
K
They
treated
him
as
a
prisoner
then,
but
it
you
know,
I
think
what
we
have
to
get
across
is
the
fact
that
if
we
as
a
society
now
an
evolve
Society
a
building
systems
that
are
in
place,
maybe
the
building
used
to
be
a
a
jail.
But
now
it's
a
dph
facility
I
think
we
need
to
I
think
we
need
to
keep
pounding
that
issue
home,
that
it
is.
It
is
a
different
it
isn't
your
your
father's
or
grandfather's
section,
35
I,
don't
know
if.
T
You
want
to
yeah
I.
Just
would
like
to
say
that
the
women
went
to
Framingham
that
stopped
in
2016
as
a
statutory
change,
I
will
say
when
the
sheriff
stepped
in
and
the
sheriffs
are
county-wide
and
they're
elected,
so
they
have
a
constituency
to
respond
to,
and
these
are
you
know,
the
people
that
we
see
in
that
are
opiate
use
disordered.
Now
you
know
mom's
a
teacher
and
dad
works
for
Verizon.
This
is
this.
Is
these
are
families
that
are
across
the
state?
T
This
is
I,
mean
I'm,
mentioning
that's
a
fiction,
but
that's
what
we're
seeing
in
every
Sheriff,
including
this
one,
has
worked
really
hard
to
get
treatment,
programming
into
their
facilities,
both
for
the
incarcerated
population,
the
awaiting
trial
population
and,
to
the
extent
that
they
have
sort
of
a
duly
diagnosed
person.
They're
doing
that
as
well.
T
I
know
that
in
the
courtroom,
when
I
would
deal
with,
I
didn't
learn
this
in
law
school,
but
I
knew
that
when
we
had
a
benzodiazepine
withdrawal
or
an
alcohol
withdrawal
that
it
was
a
medically
it
was
a
medical
emergency.
So
Court
offices
would
come
into
the
courtroom
and
say
we
just
have
a
guy
that
came
into
the
lock
up.
It's
a
benzo
withdrawal.
Everything
was
dropped.
We
worked
on
that
case.
We
got
that
person
out
of
the
courthouse,
because
we
knew
that
it
was
a
medically
assisted
detox.
T
When
we
did
sequential
intercept
mapping
in
the
courts,
which
I
know
the
sheriff
has
been
heavily
involved
in,
which
is
how
do
you
drop
people
out
of
the
criminal
justice
system
as
quickly
as
possible
if
necessary?
So
you
can
get
them
into
treatment
when
we
brought
us,
we
all
go
into
a
room
like
a
centrifuge
and
you
speak
to
the
sheriffs
and
the
teachers
and
and
the
doctors
everybody's
in
the
same
room,
probation
officers,
treatment
providers
and
I
had
a
chance
to
talk
to
the
nurses
at
the
sheriff's
department
and
said
to
me.
T
You
send
me
that
kid
in
drug
court
and
I
said
yeah.
It
looks
great
when
I
send
them
and
he's
got.
The
days
of
single-use
substances
are
gone,
they're
on
six
substances,
yeah
and
the
courts
are
doing
urine,
screens
and
screens
so
they'd,
say
yeah
and
the
sheriffs
do
a
level
four
detox
to
let
the
sheriffs
give
them
medical
care.
So
will.
T
Well,
it's
medically
it's
a
medically
assisted
detox
as
opposed
to
a
level
three
which
is
a
medically
supervised
detox,
which
you
can
do
with
some
substances,
but
alcohol
and
benzos.
You
cannot
do
cold
turkey
detox
with
people
that
have
serious
substance,
use
disorder
with
those
substances,
and
maybe
the
doctor
will
change
my
opinion
on
that.
I
don't
know,
but
we
found
that
that
was
very
important,
so
that
nurses,
the
nurses,
would
say
yeah
on
date
on
day
two.
T
We
had
a
you
know,
adjust
our
response
in
the
court
system,
so
I
think
I
think
that
what
we're
seeing
with
all
of
the
the
silos
that
were
once
operating
in
the
field,
without
speaking
to
one
another
I've
met
these
Boston
police
officers
before
today,
at
a
training
program
at
the
Academy
that
they
attended
five
or
six
years
ago.
You
know
when
they
were
moving
along.
T
Treatment
in
in
an
other
facility
that,
maybe
is
run
by
the
sheriff
I
know
that
chair
of
cochi
is
doing
extremely
good
work
out
there
and
is
looking
to
get
dph
certification.
So
it's
it.
This
medically
assisted
treatment
is
alive
and
well
in
all
of
the
in
in
the
sheriff's
departments,
in
the
Department
of
Correction.
In
the
Department
of
Mental
Health
and
the
Department
of
Public,
Health
I
think
that
those
are
those
are
differences
that
we
wouldn't
have
seen
10
years
ago.
Right.
K
Can
you
imagine
we
we
sit
here
and
long
for
the
days
when
it
used
to
just
be
mostly
alcohol
that
we're
bringing
out
family
and
friends
to
but
I
have
to
agree
with
you
on
on
the
the
the
sheriff's
approach
I've
been
out
to
see
Kochi
I've
seen
the
program
in
in
one
of
the
things.
First
of
all,
how
long
is
a
is
it
typical?
Is
it
typical
section,
35
court
ordered
section,
35
stay
the.
T
The
statute
allows
for
90
days,
but,
and
that
was
done
by
Senator
Tolman,
who
worked
hard
on
that
to
when
who
was
also
up
front
and
center
early
on
and
said,
30
days
isn't
enough
time
here
we
gotta
because
we
get
these
kids
coming.
It
was
when
pill
started,
I
mean
I,
remember
being
in
the
courts
and
being
in
Brockton
and
saying
what
what's
going
on
here.
Why
are
why
are
we
getting
all
these
people
in
that
are
coming
in
from
unions
and
job
injuries
and
in
their
using
heroin?
T
What
we
found
was
that
when
they
would
medically
seek
more
substances
from
their
doctors,
they
would
get
dropped
and
then
they
would
go
to
heroin,
and
now
it's
all
fentanyl,
so
we
can
have
a
2016
conversation.
A
2019
conversation
I
mean
this
stuff
changes,
but
I
think
what
we're
seeing
is
that
the
the
the
the
treatment
that's
provided
in
in
I
think
particularly
in
the
sheriff's
departments
and
I'm
talking
about
the
criminogenic
piece,
is,
is
good
treatment
and
then
there's
a
robust
handoff
to
the
community
they're.
K
G
K
Are
that
are
our
assets
that
that
we
can
use
to
to
build
these
programs
to
build
Humane
programs?
It's
the
same
when
it
comes
to
job
training,
we
take
money
and
and
spread
the
infield,
so
everyone
gets
touched
politically,
but
we're
not
building
the
assets,
we're
not
building
places
to
to
to
to
to
to
put
tools
in
in
people's
hands.
K
It's
the
same
thing
here,
if
we're
gonna,
if
we're
gonna
spend
that
drive
people-
and
here
you
go-
you
get
15
days
and
hear
them
right
back
out
on
the
sidewalk,
especially
if
you're
down
at
mass
and
cast
you
don't
have
a
chance,
and
the
last
thing
that
I'll
say
about
the
about
the
the
the
the
the
the
corrections
the
the
jails
is.
They
know
how
to
do.
Reunification
I
know
my
man,
Steve
Steve
Tompkins
knows
how
to
do
you
reunification.
They
know
how
to
talk
to
people
about.
K
How
are
you
getting
back
with
your
family?
What
are
you
doing
for
housing?
What
are
you
doing
for
a
job,
and
those
are
all
the
things
that
if
you
are
in
a
day
program
in
and
out
and
you
and
you
the
back
your
mind
is
always
about?
Oh
I
can
just
go
get
high.
That's
the
easy
way,
because
to
pick
up
is
in
fact
the
easy
way,
because
it
takes
the
pain
away.
It
takes
that
sickness
away.
The
hard
way
is
to
stay
there
and
stay
involved
and
I
believe.
K
If
we
have
the
attention
of
the
individual
for
30,
60,
90
I
would
even
Advocate
120
days
to
be
able
to
every
day
you're
getting
up
and
you're
going
to
group
therapy
you're
going
to
individualized
care
and
and
when
working
all
those
things
before
you
get
out
of
wherever
the
facility
is
whatever
the
facility
is,
but
we
need
to
build
those
facilities
and
we
need
to.
We
need
to
coalesce
and
put
some
money
towards
hundreds
of
millions
of
dollars
towards
beds
that
that
are
these
types
of
beds.
T
What
works
is
when
you
take
when
you
the
only
level
four
bets
I
could
get
were
in
the
sheriff's
departments.
That's
the
only
ones
I
could
find
so
or
or
or
when
we
had
Framingham
and
and
I
have
to
say.
Secretary
Cyrus
did
an
amazing
job.
Getting
those
beds
up
at
rep
I
mean
she
really
worked
hard
at
that,
and
she
deserves
tremendous
credit.
T
The
governor,
really
they
did
but
the
Continuum
of
Care
is
they
go
from
the
sheriff
and
they
might
be
in
a
drug
court,
or
you
know
in
my
not
even
talking
section
35,
if
they're
in
a
drug
court
as
a
criminogenic
piece,
they
go
from
the
sheriff.
We
then
move
them
to
maybe
a
residential
program
run
by
dph
or
dmh,
and
then
they
move
along
to
John
I
mean
John.
Mcgann
was
there
for
people
that
I
would
be
looking
at
thinking.
T
I've
got
this
person
with
like
four
months
of
of
medically
assisted
treatment
like
I.
Don't
want
to
call
it
sobriety
a
medical,
assisted
treatment
and
they're
off
to
six
substances
that
they
were.
They
had
26
overdose,
near-death
experiences,
I
got
Mom
in
the
courtroom
and
I
need
a
bed
tonight.
I
make
a
phone
call
to
this
guy
and
I
get
a
bed,
maybe
not
even
in
his
facility,
but
he'll
go
I'll.
Get
back
to
you.
T
I'll
find
you
a
bed
and
I
would
just
say
second
call
and
put
that
person
in
the
lock
up
and
continue
and
the
person
would
say
I.
Don't
trust
myself
judge
to
go
out
in
the
community?
That's
what
they
would
say
after
four
months
of
being
with
the
sheriff
and
then
moving
into
a
residential
program,
you'd
start
hearing
them
say:
I,
don't
trust
myself,
don't
put
me
out
in
the
community.
K
That's
and
that's
the
person
that
I
believe
that
we
should
invest
in,
and
now
you
yeah
here's
a
key
to
a
room.
Now
after
you
have
six
months
off
the
side,
you
might
not
be
like
you
said
in
them.
Thank
you
for
saying
you
might
not
be
sold
because
you're
on
Suboxone
or
whatever
that's
that's
fine,
but
but
you
you
are
off
the
illicit
drugs
and
you're,
not
you're,
not
making
that
choice
to
shoot
poison
in
you
in
your
arm
or
to
smoke
poison.
That's
the
person
that
I
believe
we
should
send
Into
The
Roundhouse.
T
It's
a
huge
thing
for
the
buck.
If
you
connect
Services,
if
you,
because
it's
like
building
a
whole
city,
you
you
connect
Sheriff
to
dph
to
dmh
to
Gavin,
you
start
doing
that
and
you
get
a
huge
you
get
a
huge
success
rate.
We
did.
We
felt
we
were
doing
well
enough.
Our
drug
court
was
studied
and
our
numbers
were
good.
So
anyway,
thank.
K
Q
O
Thank
you.
Welcome
to
the
panelists
I
think,
first
to
the
judge,
I
appreciate
your
testimony
and
wondering
if
you
could
elaborate
a
little
bit
on
the
assessment
of
suicidal
ideation
or
homicide
ideation
in
terms
of
in
the
courtroom
and
whether
or
not
there
is
a
process
prior
I
think
that
obviously
officers
seem
qualified
and
competent
enough
to
be
able
to
to
triage
whether
or
not
this
is
a
case
that
goes
to
court.
At
a
point
that
you
mentioned,
where
the
individuals
must
be
near
debt
right
so
be
the
suicidal
or
homicidal.
T
Come
here,
okay,
the
section
35
process
is
and
and
thank
you
for
the
question
because
it
does
clarify
it.
The
the
it
requires
an
expert
witness
and
again
there
was
some
changes,
because
the
legislature
in
2011
allowed
for
Mom
and
Dad
to
testify.
That
was
used
to
be
that
Mom
and
Dad
were
in
the
back
of
the
courtroom.
They
couldn't
speak
because
they
weren't
an
expert
witness
and
that
was
painful
to
watch
because
they
weren't
able
to
testify
about
what
was
going
on
at
the
house.
T
But
the
witnesses
that
testify
in
section
35
are
are
employed
by
or
either
the
third
party
vendors
to
or
employed
by,
the
Department
of
Mental
Health.
So
that's
the
core
clinic.
So
each
Quail
clinician
is
a
designated
forensic
psychologist,
which
is
a
specifically
designated
discipline
so
that
they
get
a
PhD
their
postdoc,
but
they
also
have
significant
hours
of
training
in
assessment
of
risk,
and
so
so
every
witness
that
has,
and
sometimes
their
designated
Forensic
psychiatrists
as
well
most
of
the
time
they're
psychologists.
T
You
know
you're
worried
because
everybody's
looking
at
their
watches
thinking
this
person's
detoxing
in
the
lock
up.
Court
officers
are
worried
about
it,
but
so
so
the
the
answer
to
your
question
is
who
can
assess
near
death?
It's
a
it's.
A
a
decision
made
by
a
PhD
employed
by
the
Department
of
Mental
Health.
That
clinic
is
either
a
third
party
vendor
to
dmh
or
some
of
them
like
Dr,
Prudence
Baxter,
who
was
in
Cambridge
as
a
psychiatrist
and
was
actually
working
in
the
court
Clinic.
T
She
was
a
direct
employee
of
dmh,
and
so
that's
how
the
and
they're
good
at
determining
things
like
suicidality
homicidality.
That's
what
they
testify
on
all
the
time.
The
same
commitment
criteria
on
dangerousness
exists
from
mental
health
for
a
section
12,
a
section
7
and
8
16
18.
All
of
those
the
same
Clinic
does
that
they
also
do
evaluations
for
competency
to
stand
trial,
criminal
responsibility,
those
things
so
they're
trained
for
it,
and
they
continue
to
get
training
and
the
judge
hears
that
evidence.
And
then
the
judge
makes
the
call.
T
So
it
has
to
have
significant
testimony
on
perhaps
a
number
of
previous
overdose
near
overdose
deaths,
and
we
also
have
the
family
in
so
sometimes
it's
Mom.
That
comes
in
and
says
well
last
night
he
got
in
the
car
and
got
into
an
accident
or
he
was
in
the
bathroom,
and
you
know
we
didn't
hear
anything
and
we
opened
the
door
and
he
was
on
the
floor
with
a
needle
in
his
arm.
So
and
that
alone
isn't
enough.
It
has
to
be
something
that
you'd,
see
and
I.
T
T
I
know
that
they're
working
on
it
I
can
try
to
provide
data
for
you
in
terms
of
you
know:
who's
getting
sectioned
and
how
they're
getting
sectioned
you
know
so
I,
don't
I,
don't
have
data
on
I
didn't
come
with
data
on
racial
disparities
on
Section,
35
I,
don't
know
if
they,
if
they
have,
they
probably
have
broken
down.
I
would
imagine.
Dph
has
the
numbers
in
terms
of
ethnicity
but
I
guess
it
depends
on
you
know.
Certain
communities
of
color
are
going
to
have
more
people
that
represent
that
community.
T
O
You
I
mean
I,
guess
if
we
can
aggregate
that
by
way
of
ratio
so
that
it
actually
reflects
the
demographics
that
right
so
like.
If
there
are
more
whites
that
are
impacted
by
this
issue,
then
you
would
see
that
naturally
there's
a
higher
percentage
in
the
white
population
coming
in
the
courts.
For
that
reason,
or
that
there
are
families
that
have
this
access,
so
they're
I
think
there
are
nuances
to
this
as
well.
But
I
would
love
to
see
the
data,
if
not
from
you
through
the
chair,
whomever,
can
provide
that.
O
O
I,
don't
necessarily
think
that
one
solution
is
necessarily
or
we
should
just
negate
a
solution
or
the
other,
but
that
we
should
coordinate
properly
in
understanding
how
these
things
can
come
together,
so
that
we
can
build
that
certain
panel
with
by
way
of
the
court
or
bringing
providers
and
making
it
holistic,
but
also
harm,
reducing
but
also
evidence-based
and
being
able
to
provide
a
system
that
is,
coordination
Rich.
To
be
able
to
be
effective.
T
It's
a
great
point
and
the
one
thing
that
just
came
to
mind
because
you
raised
it.
They
said
that
the
thought
about
the
community
is
that
what
chief
justice
Kerry
did
she
just
recently
retired,
but
it's
continuing
as
a
community
Justice
project
which
runs
through
every
Court
throughout
the
state
and
what
they
do
is
they
bring
the
community
in
everybody
in
the
community
I'm
sure
the
sheriff
has
participated
in
these
things.
I'm
sure
he's
been
brought
in,
but
is
you
the
they
look
to
the
an
individual
court
community?
Each
Court
represents
certain.
T
You
know
outside
the
city
of
Boston,
like
maybe
three
or
four
towns,
seven
towns
and
Boston
might
be.
You
know,
they've
got
eight
courts
in
the
city
of
Boston
and
then
they
bring
in
the
providers
the
Educators.
You
know
any
of
the
political
folks
that
are
involved
in
representing
those
communities.
They
go
into
these.
What
they
call
sequential
intercept,
mapping.
T
T
You
come
out
of
there
with
an
understanding
of
where
the
strengths
are
where
the
gaps
are,
and
you
may
very
well
be
able
to
capture
the
information
about
racial
disparities,
to
the
extent
that
that's
that
exists
and
that's
a
problem
and
then
it
can
be
addressed.
So
one
of
the
things
the
courts
did
with
this
community
Justice
project
is
to
look
into
the
communities
and
see
where
gaps
are
see
where
the
problems
are
and
then
try
to
problem
solve
those
I
know.
T
O
Think
I
think
everything's
a
conversation
and
we
should
be
patient
with
the
process.
Although
you
know,
of
course
everyone
is
frustrated.
You
get
to
a
point
where
and
I
think
the
problem
in
the
system
is
that
not
only
do
you
have
a
lot
of
new
counselors,
but
then
there's
a
disconnect
between
Administration
and
Council
and
so
oftentimes.
O
These
hearings
will
come
to
this
platform
before
we
can
actually
open
up
to
conversation
and
then
we'll
request
an
information
and
then
we'll
be
able
to
actually
you
know,
put
it
put
it
together
so
that
we
can
digest
it
properly
and
then
also
convey
it
to
the
community
so
that
we're
also
giving
people
information
and
access
to
navigate
and
Advocate.
However,
when
we're
frustrated,
we
are
you
know
it's
where
we
get
stuck
in
the
point
of
contention:
we're
not
moving
past
it,
and
so
I'm
I'm
I.
T
T
Mean
we've
just
we
found
all
these
things
out
and
it
was
like
we
didn't
even
realize
it
was
right
under
our
nose.
It
was
like
what
do
you
mean
you
didn't
know
you
could
do
that.
You
know
like
at
one
point
one
of
the
Town
Police
Department
said
we
didn't
know
we
could
bring
people
to
the
emergency
room
and
I
said
wait
a
minute.
You
didn't
know.
O
T
Further
I'd
like
to
introduce
you
too
so
to
Marissa
Hebel
who's,
a
director
of
the
community
Justice
program
for
the
courts
and
I'm
sure
she
could
invite
you
to
some
of
those
sequential
intercept.
Mapping
days
you
come
out
of
there
exhausted,
but
it's
a
wonderful
Plumbing
of
the
resources
and
then
learning
where
the
gaps
are.
So
we
can
fix
them
because
there's
gaps,
I.
T
O
Again,
thank
you
well,
thank
you
so
much
Madam
chair.
Thank
you
for
indulging
me
on
the
time
and
I
I
My
Hope
Is
that
we
can.
We
can
continue
this
conversation.
I
think
it
doesn't
have
to
be
one
work
in
session
or
two
I
think
that
what
the
judge
here
has
offered
us.
This
idea
of
you
know
coming
together
and
brainstorming
and
bringing
all
the
Dynamics
all
the
pieces
together
is
similar
to
sorry
I.
What
is
Sue,
sorry,
Sue
and
Marla
and
I
know
the
sheriff
people
have
all
talked
about.
O
I
am
very
interested
in
the
coordination,
because
I
think
that's
that's
the
work
and
hopefully
we'll
get
it
we'll
get
it
together
soon
and
I
think
everyone
here
for
your
compassion,
Mr,
sorry
you're
on
your
phone,
but
you're,
probably
taking
notes
of
what
I'm
saying,
George
I,
really
think
of
I.
Really
thank
you
for
your
compassion
in
your
heartfelt
emotion.
Even
if
I
disagree
with
you
on
some
things,
it
doesn't
matter
because
I
I
believe
that
there's
an
opportunity.
O
V
V
Not
everyone
goes
this
route,
and
so
I
think
it's
critically
important
for
us
to
think
about
what
the
evidence
States
and
my
understanding
of
the
science
is,
that
we're
not
doing
a
good
job
tracking
outcomes
to
really
be
able
to
say
that
this
method,
which
is
a
method
of
last
absolute
Last
Resort,
is
one
that
we
need
to
increase
or
strengthen.
Rather,
you
know
a
lot
of
us
here
on
city
council
wrote
letters
of
support
for
getting
Long
Island
back
up
as
soon
as
possible,
because
George
we
want.
V
You
took
me
very
early
on
a
walk
in
the
neighborhood
and
it
is
just
so
clear
how
much
we
need
to
decentralize
services
and
how
much
we
need
to
put
into
Long
Island
into
our
resources
and
our
time
to
really
getting
that
back
up.
We're
talking,
as
someone
else
mentioned,
what
we
need
our
long-term
treatment
facilities,
and
we
know
that
we
can
have
that
right
if
we're
putting
our
work
there.
The
mayor
has
been
very
focused
on
working
with
the
state
so
that
this
is
a
decentralized
issue,
so
that
this
is
a
decentralized
response.
V
That's
why
it's
critically
important,
sometimes
when
we
have
these
antidotes
to
not
just
go
based
on
what
the
antidotes
are
to
really
try
to
follow
the
science
and
so
doctor,
one
of
the
things
that
I
appreciated
that
you
stated
was
that
actually,
this
model
of
of
housing
is
an
important
intervention,
because
it
opens
the
Gateway
for
for
folks
to
actually
seek
additional
services.
And
so
I
was
wondering
if
you
could
talk
a
little
bit
more
about
that.
S
Absolutely
no
thank
you
so
much
for
the
question
and
for
acknowledging
that
we're
all
here
together
today
with
the
goal
of
decreasing
overdose
deaths
right.
We
are
all
here,
because
we
are
passionate
about
that
outcome
and,
taking
you
know
taking
it
back
to
the
science.
The
state
of
the
evidence
right
now
is
that
the
most
effective
way
to
get
the
outcome
of
decreasing
deaths,
of
decreasing
opioid
overdose
deaths
is
through
medication
for
opioid
use
disorder,
specifically
methadone
and
buprenorphine,
that
that
is
really
incredibly
clear
from
the
science,
and
so
the
question
becomes:
how
do
we?
S
Two
that
is,
is
low
barrier,
meaning
that
it's
available
at
the
right
time
at
the
right
place,
where
someone
is
interested
in
engaging
recognizing
that
the
substance
use
disorders
can
involve
phases
of
Crisis
and
that
being
a
present
available.
Having
built
trust
can
then
become
an
entryway
into
treatment
and
I
fully
agree
that
you
know
anecdote
is
challenging
right.
We
all
feel
so
passionate
about
these
issues
and
I
I.
Think
of
a
dozen
I
would
love
to
share,
but
you
know
I'll
share
one
that
I
think
ties
in
the
evidence
piece.
S
Okay,
she'll,
you
know,
she'll
she'll
be
respectful,
the
patient
absolutely
said
no,
and
and
after
about
a
year
he
actually
came
in
with
a
skin
infection.
An
abscess
and
allowed
me
to
see
him
treat
his
abscess.
He
subsequently
was
able
to
start
buprenorphine
with
us
and
started
the
injectable
form
of
treatment
and
went
on
to
pursue
residential
treatment
and
get
nearly
if
I'm
not
mistaken
a
year.
S
V
You
Doctor
I
appreciate
that
I
also
appreciate
the
acknowledgment
that
what
oftentimes
we're
fighting,
especially
those
with
you
know,
substance
use
disorder
is
a
disease.
It's
a
disease
that
has
really
taken
a
stronghold,
so
I
respect
everyone
on
this
panel
for
the
work
that
they
do,
judge
and
John
I
think
it
is
we
when
I
am
in
the
area
either
talking
to
Residents
or
talking
to
those
who
are
there.
V
I
see
I,
see
our
Collective
failure
as
a
city
as
our
systems
that
have
led
to
these
outcomes,
where
folks
are
finding
ways
to
heal
themselves
in
drug
use.
That
is
having
the
opposite
effect,
and
so,
when
I
think
about
how
are
we
meeting
people's
basic
needs
when
it
comes
to
housing
when
it
comes
to
shelter
when
it
comes
to
their
ability
to
to
find
the
strength
to
recover
these
Community
Navigators
these
opportunities,
where
we're
trying
to
collaborate
with
State
Partners
to
really
solve
these
intractable
issues?
To
me,
I
think
I.
V
V
A
Thank
you,
panelists.
We
do
have
some
more
public
testimony
and
a
few
people
on
Zoom,
but
we
are
done
with
your
questions.
You
can
stay.
You
can
take
your
seat
again,
but
I
do
want
to.
Thank
you
all.
This
has
been
a
long
hearing.
It's
just
the
beginning
of
I
know
the
work
that
I'm
happy
to
hear
and
know
new
from
the
beginning
that
my
colleagues
are
on
board
and
there
is
not
one
solution,
one
answer,
but
we
do
have
to
work
together
to
get
get
to
a
better
place.
So,
thank
you
all.
A
Thank
you.
So
much
Marla
Smith
Rocco
skippa.
If
you
yeah,
you
can
come
down
to
the
different
we
and
we'll
also
I'll
go
to
some
people
on
Zoom.
Also.
We
also
have,
in
my
pronouncing
it
right
sui.
Fing
Chen.
Are
you
still
here?
Okay,
great,
you
can
we'll
do
two
people
at
each
microphone
and
then
Susan
keys.
If
you're
still
here
awesome
so
two
minutes
for
public
testimony,
we
will
start
with
Mala
and
you
can
go
ahead.
Marlo.
C
A
W
W
So
while
they're
not
perfect
and
they
don't
work
all
the
time,
they
do
work
some
of
the
time
and
for
me
it
was,
you
know,
it
was
transformative
and
I'm
happy
to
report
that
this
person
very
dear
to
me
is
doing
very
well
so
I'm
here
today
to
testify
about
how
the
Fallout
of
mass
and
cast
has
impacted
my
life
and
that
of
my
neighbors.
The
intersection
of
mass
and
Cass
is
about
five
blocks
from
my
house.
W
One
block
from
my
house
is
the
South
Bay
shopping
center,
so
it's
pretty
safe
to
say
that,
given
the
almost
no
people
left
in
this
room,
I
live
closer
than
almost
anyone
else
to
get
there.
I
have
to
walk
past
the
inbound
ramp
of
Newmarket
station,
which
is
nearly
always
clogged
with
people
loitering
and
using
drugs,
and
you
only
have
to
have
eyes
to
see
it.
I'm,
tired
of
calling
3-1-1
on
the
same
location
literally
every
other
day.
It's
a
pattern
and
it
needs
attention
shopping
at
South.
W
Stop
and
Shop
and
Target
routinely
lock
up
personal
hygiene
products,
which
requires
legitimate
customers
to
find
a
store
associate
for
assistance.
Theft
is
rampant
at
all
the
stores
in
South
Bay,
and
particularly
the
Home
Depot,
where
it's
quite
common
to
see
people
just
walk
out
the
door
with
tools,
specifically
the
kind
of
tools
that
allow
them
to
boost
bikes
and
scooters
from
all
over
the
surrounding
neighborhood,
petty
theft
and
personal
accosts
are
common.
W
The
status
quo
isn't
working
and
my
community
is
withering
away
in
service
to
one
group
of
people
who
largely
aren't
even
from
the
city.
Change
is
way
overdue
and
Roxbury
deserves
better.
There's.
Nothing
Equity
focused
about
this
situation
for
those
of
us
who
live
and
work
here,
we've
been
meeting
people
where
they
are
voluntarily
or
involuntarily
for
years.
The
first
panel
members
said
they
were
struggling,
but
most
of
you
have
a
point
in
your
day
where
you
leave
and
you
go
home
and
you
have
some
respite.
W
I
don't
have
that
my
day-to-day
is
an
80
to
90
percent,
better,
not
even
close,
and
since
people
keep
coming
here,
it
won't
be
anytime
soon.
So
I
implore
you
to
work
to
find
a
solution,
are
all
the
solutions
and
keep
them
all
on
the
table,
because
every
option
helps
somebody
even
if
it
doesn't
help
everybody.
Thank
you.
Thank.
X
My
name
is
Rocco
skip
I'm
a
Pharma
school
teacher
at
Madison,
Park,
High,
School
and
I
grew
up
in
East,
Boston
and
I
love
the
city
of
Boston
I.
Don't
no
longer
live
here
and
I
don't
like
to
put
this
part
of
my
life
on
you
know
on
here,
but
I
think
this
issue
is
so
important
that
I'm
going
to
31
years
ago
what
the
fentanyl
came
into
East,
Boston
and
Marie
area
and
I
was
very
well
involved
in
it.
I
was
a
heroin
addict.
X
I
was
doing
70
bags
a
day,
and
if
the
programs
existed
then
that
it
exists
now,
I
would
be
dead
or
I'd
still
be
out
in
the
street.
It's
disgusting
I
more
than
you
know,
and
I
don't
like
to
give
compliments
too
often,
but
you
three
City
councils,
have
it
right
on
the
money
right
on
the
money
and
a
majority
of
the
panel
over
here
have
it
on
the
money.
It's
recovery.
X
Recovery
recovery
I
still
go
to
meetings,
I'm,
not
going
to
say
which
ones
I
go
to
because
it's
Anonymous
I
love
being
sober,
I,
love
being
sober
10
year
when
I
had
10
years
old,
but
my
daughter
was
out
there
shooting
heroin.
Okay
today,
she's
a
therapist
and
I
had
the
pleasure
of
telling
somebody
they
called
me
in
a
business
call
I'm,
sorry,
I,
I'm
visiting
my
daughter's
office.
You
know
how
great
is
that
recovery
is
the
key
counselor.
You
you
hit
the
nail
on
the
head.
X
You
know,
and
you
know,
I
don't
like
giving
Compliments
by
the
way,
but
it's
right
on.
We
have
to
recover
it.
Addiction
doesn't
see,
color
doesn't
see
age.
I
came
from
a
wonderful,
wonderful
family.
So
when
I
give
my
story,
I'm
embarrassed
because
other
people
came
from
horrible
situations,
I
had
a
loving
mother,
a
loving
father,
loving
an
extended
family
I
had
it
all.
I
was
a
school
teacher.
I
left
the
teaching
I
was
in
the
building.
Business
and
I
went
back
out
after
being
13
years.
X
The
difference
now
is
that
I
know
I've
given
up.
I
cannot
do
another
drug
ever
again
or
I'm
dead
and
doesn't,
and
it's
a
daily
reprieve,
that's
a
daily
reprieve
and
believe
me,
we've
all
been
there.
Most
of
us
have
been
there
and
it's
terrible
and
a
lot
of
your.
You
know
your
efforts
and
if
I
can
be
of
any
help
and
by
the
way
I'm
not
looking
for
a
job,
but
I
will
help.
Yes,.
X
I
was
in
high
school
I'm.
Sorry
I
was
like
20
years
old
and
I
came
up
with
this
great
idea.
You
know
that
like
I
was
gonna
end
up
on
heroin
anyway.
So
let's
rush
it
so
I
started
marijuana,
but
I
drank
very
little.
You
know
and
then
I
I
picked
up
and
then
I
went
into
service
and
I
came
out
and
I
was
clean
for
six
years.
You
know
then
I
I
was
in
school
teaching.
X
I
was
so
embarrassed
that
here,
I
am
a
school
teacher
and
next
to
my
room,
I
would
have
bags
of
heroin
and
I
would
have
to
slip
out
of
the
classroom
to
do
it.
How
embarrassing
how
disgusting
of
a
human
being,
okay
and
then
I
went
back
out
and
what
saved
my
ass
was
not
excuse
me.
It
was
not
the
intellectuals,
okay,
people
that
came
in
and
tried
to
tell
me
you
know,
Wonderful.
You
know
college
grads,
wonderfully
brilliant
and
stuff
I
used
and
abused
them.
X
It
wasn't
until
I
went
into
a
program
that
someone
says:
hey,
you're
going
to
die
and
I
went
out
and
I
was
clean
for
13
years
and
then
I
still
went
back
out
because
I
didn't
deal
with
the
problem.
I
thought
I
was
going
to
be
better
than
everybody.
I
was
going
to
make
a
lot
of
money.
I
was
better
than
everybody
and
I
ended
up
at
41
years
old
in
a
treatment
center
and
I
broke
out
twice
out
of
the
treatment
center.
X
Okay,
it's
long
term,
it's
you're
not
going
to
solve
it
in
one
day,
you're
not
going
to
solve
it
in
one
week.
You
have
the
right
idea.
You
got
the
round
whatever
that
place
says:
okay,
I'm
around
it
every
day,
I
make
take
my
walk,
stop
massive
and
casting
every
day.
I
walk
and
my
wife
says
you
out
of
your
mind.
This
is
more
than
likely
okay
and
it's
it's
horrible.
It
breaks
my
heart.
My
son
is
in
business
with
me
and
he
turns
me.
X
He
says
why
do
you
give
money
to
the
homeless?
I
says:
if
it
wasn't
for
my
family
and
God,
that's
where
I
would
be.
We
need
to
get
that
place.
Housing
isn't
the
issue.
If
you
gave
me
housing
for
nothing,
man
I'd
still
be
out
there.
It's
not
about
that.
It's
about
recovery
and
I,
really
I,
really
I'm,
so
glad
I
stayed.
I
was
going
to
leave
and
I'm
glad
business
will
still
be
there.
Y
Hi,
my
name
is
Dr
Su
ping,
chin,
fim
and
I'm.
An
addiction
psychiatrist,
I
live
at
12,
rangefield
Street
in
Cambridge,
I'm,
medical
director
of
homeless
services
at
Elliott,
Community,
Human
Services.
My
main
sites
of
outreach
are
the
Shattuck
cottages
and
mass
and
casts
where
I
am
almost
every
day
of
the
week.
I
also
participate
in
the
Boston
Hub,
which
was
mentioned
earlier.
I
want
to
thank
you
to
the
chair
and
the
remaining
counselors
and
everyone
else.
Y
I
know
in
my
more
than
10
years
of
experience
in
this
work
on
the
street
that
a
clean
needle
or
a
new
pipe
is
not
the
difference
between
someone
using
and
not
using.
It's
the
difference
between
someone
getting
HIV
or
dying
from
endocarditis,
but
it's
not
going
to
change
their
decision
making
in
the
moment
and
just
that
recovery
and
harm
reduction
and
treatment,
they're,
not
at
odds
with
each
other
and
that
we
all
operate
on
human
relationships.
Y
That's
why
we're
here
talking
to
each
other
today
and
I,
didn't
bring
data
on
this
because
I
didn't
realize
we
were
gonna.
It
was
going
to
be
called
into
question
that
housing
first
works,
so
Elliott
has
housed
more
than
200
people
over
the
last
two
years,
all
suffering
from
chronic
homelessness.
We've
had
one
eviction
and
many
of
us,
our
folks,
are
in
recovery,
people
who
are
not
in
recovery
and
are
really
really
struggling.
Y
We
know
they
tend
to
do
things
that
get
them
evicted
and
have
them
struggle,
and
our
main
work
at
Elliott
is
with
homeless,
Outreach
and
stabilizing
people
after
their
house.
So
with
that
being
said,
a
few
points
on
Section
35
still
every
day
that
court
is
open.
There
are
men
in
Massachusetts
being
sent
to
Correctional
Facilities
to
serve
their
section.
35.
There
are
about
eight
section:
35
facilities
across
the
state,
two
were
operated
by
Department
of
Mental
Health
I
want
to
Echo
the
Compassionate
Care
and
expert
care.
Y
That's
given
there,
however,
when
you
go
to
court
even
in
Boston,
you
could
end
up
at
any
of
the
section
35
facilities
across
the
state
and
one
more
thing
really
quick
is
that
not
all
of
them
are
fully
secured
and
that
allotments,
particularly
from
women
first
from
some
section,
35
facilities,
are,
are
quite
dangerous
and
a
quite
frequent
occurrence.
Thank
you
very
much.
Thank.
Z
Hi
Susan
keys,
I'm,
the
regional
director
for
Elliott
Community,
Human
Services
work
with
Su
ping,
chin
fieman
I
am
also
a
city
resident
I
live
at
21,
Vista
Street
in
Roslindale.
What
I
would
like
to
I've
worked
down
on
Madison
cast
for
many
many
years.
I
will
say
one
of
the
things
that
I
want
to
say
is
that
people
with
substance
use
disorder
still
have
rights
and
many
of
the
folks
down.
Although
everybody
seems
to
say
that
the
folks
coming
down
to
mass
and
cast
none
of
them,
are
City
residents.
Z
I
can
tell
you
that
that
is
not
the
truth.
Many
of
the
folks
down
there
are
City
residents,
long-term
City
residents
of
South
Boston
and
Chelsea,
and
Hyde
Park
and
Roslindale.
All
those
folks
have
rights
and
are
members
of
our
community.
So
instead
of
thinking
of
the
ways
in
which
we
can
force
them
into
recovery,
I
would
I
would
challenge
you
to
find
ways
that
we
can
work
with
them,
because
nobody
woke
up
this
morning
and
said
I
want
to
be
a
drug.
Z
I
want
to
be
an
addict,
live
out
on
the
street
and
attend
at
mass
and
cast
for
the
rest
of
my
life
and
nobody
who
got
a
free,
syringe,
just
decided
to
inject
fentanyl.
That
just
doesn't
happen.
I
work
up
at
the
Cottages
every
day,
I
have
a
man
who
has
been
up
there
there.
He
would
go
probably
28
out
of
30
days
to
the
emergency
department
when
he
was
on
Madison
cast.
He
has
been
to
the
emergency
department
in
the
last
four
months.
Twice.
Z
I
will
also
say
that
people
are
not
coming
to
the
mass
and
cast
to
get
housed,
because
even
people
who
have
been
there
for
years
are
calling
me
on
my
phone
because
they
know
that
I
know
they've
been
down
there
and
saying
I
have
been
out
here
Susan
for
years.
The
only
reason
I'm
still
using
is
because
I'm
on
mass
and
cast
and
I
cannot
get
a
break.
Z
AA
The
chairwoman
counselors,
my
name,
is
Ben
Murphy.
My
home
address
is
9
Jonathan
Street
in
Belmont,
I
work
for
the
new
market,
business
improvement
district
and
in
the
years
that
I
have
been
down
there,
working
with
Sue
and
others
on
the
street.
We
have
seen
more
people
than
I
can
count
who
have
overdosed
three
four
more
times
in
a
short
span
of
time,
but
still
show
no
desire
or
initiative
to
change
their
situation.
AA
There's
no
way
to
describe
this
Behavior
but
danger
to
themselves,
and
it's
obvious
that
always
you
prefer
to
have
people
voluntarily
choose
treatment,
but
these
are
the
people
who
are
never
going
to
get
better
on
their
own
and
for
some
proportion
of
those
people
it
is
still
possible
for
them
to
recover
if
they
are
given
the
push
that
enables
them
to
do
so
and
that's
why
I
think
it's
important
to
to
note
that
section.
35
is
not
a
tool
that
can
be
used
frivolously
or
impersonally.
As
Tanya
Del
Rio
said
earlier.
AA
Today,
every
person
requires
different
tools
to
move
towards
recovery,
but
fortunately
the
people
who
work
down
at
mass
and
cast
know
their
jobs
and
their
populations
very
well,
whether
it's
private
non-profits
police,
healthcare
workers.
They
know
every
person
on
those
streets
by
name.
They
know
what
those
individuals
need,
and
they
know
they
know
when
to
apply
which
Tools
in
order
to
help
them
for
these
workers
to
do
their
jobs
best.
AA
It
is
necessary
that
they
have
access
to
as
many
tools
as
possible
so
that
when
they
encounter
someone
who
needs
to
be
sectioned
for
their
own
protection,
they
have
the
ability
to
do
that.
But
there
are
other
things
that
section
35s
need.
In
order
to
succeed,
we
need
to
ensure
that
people
being
committed
have
beds
to
go
to
not
just
that
the
initial
detox
stage,
but
through
the
Continuum
of
recovery
and
the
sections
have
to
be
placed
into
good
conditions
so
that
they
are
able
to
recover
and
the
healthcare
system
is
prepared
to
receive
them.
AA
These
are
necessary
in
order
to
mitigate
the
risk
of
relapses
and
overdoses
after
patients
are
released.
In
short,
section
35
has
to
lead
has
to
lead
to
treatment.
That
is
good
enough,
that
the
people
who
are
committed
then
want
to
continue
it
from
my
experience,
working
with
the
people
on
the
street
and
the
people,
helping
them
and
seeing
the
work
that
is
done
down
there
every
day.
AA
A
We're
going
to
go
to
staring
for
being
patient.
This
is
obviously
a
very
important
hearing.
We're
going
to
need
to
have
more
in
it's
been
four
hours,
but
there's
still
people
who
have
started
and
two
minutes
we're
gonna,
go
to
zoom
and
then
yeah,
and
if
Ethan
could
pull
up
the
zoom
yes
and
you
could
speak
while
we're
pulling
up
so
go
ahead.
Please.
AB
Hello,
my
name
is
laqueen
Arlene
battle,
I'm,
a
medical
assistant.
Thank
you.
So
much
I
wish
that
this
meeting
would
have
focused
a
little
bit
more
on
domestic
violence
victims,
especially
those
who
have
to
like
myself,
have
to
resort
to
the
facilities.
Woods
Mullen,
as
well
as
other
facilities
like
Rosie's
Place.
That
happened
so
happened
to
be
near
the
Locale
of
Madison
Cavs.
AB
There
are
many
I'm
grateful
and
thankful
to
the
many
women
facilities
throughout
the
state
of
Massachusetts
that
have
provided
assistance,
clothing
showers,
Health
Care
bus
passes,
counseling
services
to
single
homeless.
Women
like
myself,
even
if
we
have
college
degrees,
if
we
even
if
we
had
phds
these
facilities
for
homeless,
single
women
and
those
women
with
children
have
provided
so
much
assistance.
So
thank
you
so
much
to
Rosie's
Place
to
women's
facilities
in
Cambridge,
as
well
as
to
Woods
mall
and
for
providing
assistance,
even
though
they
so
happen
to
be
near
the
Locale
of
Madison
cast.
AB
Also,
there
happens
to
be
issues
near
the
Boston
Medical
Center,
where
the
emergency
room
entrance
happens
to
be
blocked
at
Night
by
men
and
other
people
where
people
single
women,
like
myself,
cannot
get,
cannot
seek
security
to
the
entrance
of
the
emergency
room
at
night.
So
if
somebody
could
take
a
look
at
that,
I
would
really
appreciate
that.
Thank
you.
So
much
have
a
great
day.
Thank.
AC
Foreign
I'm
Kathy
Hurd
I've
been
a
resident
of
Austin
for
the
past
16
years,
during
which
time
I've
worked
with
unhoused
people
and
people
who
use
drugs
and
greater
Boston
at
the
materialism
advocacy
program.
Among
our
work
has
been
offering
direct
support
to
unhoused
people
and
people
who
use
drugs
through
the
interconnected
crisis.
They
are
often
fighting
to
survive
every
day
that
the
city
of
Boston
has
created
and
perpetuates
through
short-sighted
actions
to
create
the
illusion
of
progress
in
their
continued
practice
of
surveillance,
coercion
and
criminalization.
AC
I
want
to
be
clear
that
the
current
crisis
and
conditions
on
House
people
and
people
who
use
drugs
are
experiencing
that's
being
discussed.
People
being
forced
to
survive.
Poverty
in
public
and
using
substances
openly
is
The
Logical
result
of
the
continued
carceral
policing
and
of
people,
even
when
paired
with
evidence-based
solutions
by
the
city
of
Boston,
which
feels
like
it's
palatable
to
most
of
the
public,
but
seems
like
it's
not
coercive
or
punitive
enough
for
much
of
the
committee.
It's
been
noted
that
people
are
still
spending
time
at
mass
and
Cass.
AC
Section
35
as
a
means
of
decentralization
is
a
death
sentence
for
people
who
use
drugs
and
Sheriff
Tompkins
continued
proposals
for
sort
of
a
quasi-sectioning
process
at
either
the
South
Bay
House
of
Corrections
or
at
Nashua
would
also
be
a
death
sentence.
Four
people
died
as
rich
said
earlier
in
his
care
last
year.
AC
If
the
administration
and
council
is
actually
seeking
Solutions
and
wants
to
support
and
has
people
and
people
who
use
drugs,
you
should
remove
the
Boston
police
from
what
should
be
a
public
health
response,
centered
around
people's
self-identified
needs
and
goals,
and
that's
based
in
evidence.
The
city
must
rescind
the
banner
and
encampments
invest
in
low
threshold
housing,
not
hotels,
pallet
sheds
and
shelter
breads
that
have
been
rebranded
housing,
expand
harm
reduction,
including
supervised
consumption
sites
and.
A
G
AD
AD
So
first
from
Elizabeth,
Rucker
hello,
my
name
is
Elizabeth
Rucker
I
am
a
Roxbury
resident
section.
35
is
not
a
solution
for
our
neighbors
at
mass
and
Cass.
It
is
a
cool
and
temporary
punishment
for
how
for
homelessness,
the
only
short-term
Solutions
are
low
barrier
to
entry,
housing,
safe
consumption
sites
and
voluntary,
accessible
Services,
my
family
of
origin
and
my
chosen
family
have
many
members
with
substance
use
disorders
and
other
mental
illnesses.
I
have
sat
with
my
loved
ones
more
than
20
times
in
psychiatric
ERS
awaiting
beds
and
treatment
under
sections
35
and
12.
AD
A
AE
I
apologize,
I
accidentally
did
not
accept
the
panelist.
My
name
is
Elijah
Patterson
I've
lived
in
Boston
for
the
majority
of
my
life.
I've
lived
in
the
Nubian
Square
in
Roxbury
for
about
four
years
and
I
am
deeply
opposed
to
the
use
of
Section
8.
It's
a
public
health
response
at
encampments
or
anywhere
else.
This
has
been
a
really
tough
hearing
for
people
whose
lives
are
being
debated
today.
AE
People
led
by
city
councilors
of
actively
dehumanized
people
who
use
drugs
and
I
want
to
set
the
record
straight
mentally
ill
people
and
people
use
drugs
are
not
bad
people,
they
are
not
Vermin
or
sub-human.
They
deserve
respect
from
their
neighbors,
their
own
representation
from
their
elected
leaders
mentally
ill
people
and
people
use
drugs,
contribute
to
every
corner
of
our
lives
and
they
do
so
positively
frequently.
AE
We
are
not
primarily
dealing
with
the
drug
problem.
The
massive
cast
we're
dealing
with
a
failure
of
a
community
and
City
to
provide
stability
for
through
housing
for
trauma-informed
therapy
Matt
and
more
for
its
residents.
Whether
you
are
willing
to
claim
the
people
at
mass
and
cash
to
answer
your
neighbors
and
constituents,
they
are
regardless
of
where
they
are
born.
People
living
in
Boston
are
bostonians
now,
and
our
elected
officials
are
required
to
represent
their
interests.
Teams.
I
must
remind
some
of
the
council.
AE
You
do
not
choose
whom
you
represent:
councilor
Baker,
councilman,
Murphy,
councilor,
Flaherty,
you're,
lucky
enough
to
be
chosen
by
the
people
living
in
this
city,
and
when
you
talk
about
us
unhoused
people
as
a
blight,
your
violence
is
aimed
at
bostonians.
It
is
their
job
to
care
for
I'm
a
crucifixion
for
many
reasons,
but
they
can
be
boiled
down
to
this.
Sectioning
does
not
touch
as
the
disease
of
addiction
or
the
bite
of
mental
illness
and
poverty.
It
is
natural
people,
say
off
drugs.
AE
It
in
fact
kills
people
a
person
is
looking
to
disappear
and
kill
unhouse
people
section
35s
are
the
way
to
do
it.
If
we
are
looking
to
respond
to
a
crisis,
prisons
and
police
and
jails
have
no
place
in
the
equation.
I've
been
section
115
times
for
Suicidal
Thoughts
I've
frequently
been
sectioned,
because
I
asked
for
help.
In
all
those
sections,
what
I
did
not
need
was
cops
with
belts,
heavy
with
guns
and
billy
clubs.
Forcing
me
to
stay
in
the
ER.
A
You
very
much
and
please
submit
if
you
have
it
in
written
testimony,
so
we
can
submit
the
whole
test
testimony.
Thank
you.
Everyone
I
believe
somebody
who
did
log
in
at
10
o'clock.
Our
hearing
did
start
at
10.
is
still
here,
and
this
will
be
the
last
testimony
on
Zoom
I
thank
the
chairs
of
the
next
hearing
and
everyone
who's
here
for
the
next
hearing.
For
being
so
patient.
A
AF
AF
AF
I
worked
my
way
to
a
great
position
and
I'm
hearing
about
section
35
and
I
backed
the
counselors,
especially
the
u3
up
front
Jill
saved
me
if
I
wasn't
put
in
there
and
I
had
programming.
That's
the
whole
thing
that
they
don't
have
here.
I
did
my
time
in
Tennessee
and
if
you
have
the
right
programming
with
counseling
moral
recognition,
therapy
is
a
course
it
doesn't
matter.
AF
If
you
have
a
mental
illness
or
not,
the
whole
thing
of
being
out
on
the
streets
is
people
are
enabling,
if
you're,
giving
them
needles
and
you're
giving
them
pipes
you're
enabling
I
don't
care.
If
it's
about
HIV
or
hep
C,
you
are
not
living
a
life
of
an
addict.
If
you
have
not
used
and
you
have
not
been
out
there,
you
don't
understand
how
we
act.
We
still
pass
a
pipe
around.
We
still
share
needles,
that's
how
they
are
that's.
AF
A
A
No
one
takes
one
path
and
happy
that
we
were
able
to
have
a
conversation
with
people
who
were
out
there
doing
this
work
and
have
you
know
with
many
different
opinions
and
different
backgrounds,
but
we're
going
to
continue
to
support
those
and
thank
you
so
much
the
hearing,
one
zero.
Three
three
and
hearing
one
two,
eight
zero
has
officially
ended.
Thank
you
very
much,
foreign.