Two murders committed Monday on Chester Avenue have brought Chelsea’s homicide count to six for the year, raising serious concerns about public safety. On Wednesday morning, City Manager Jay Ash convened a meeting with key city officials to address the crisis. Attendees included Police Chief Brian Kyes, ROCA executive director Molly Baldwin, Chelsea Collaborative representatives Marta Rosa and Councillor Roseann Bongiovanni. “The city will be committing to placing additional police in the neighborhoods immediately as a result of these murders. We seek to increase the presence of police, to increase vigilance and to facilitate arrests,” Ash remarked at the conclusion of the meeting. The city is committed to investing whatever resources are necessary to protect residents and demonstrate that law enforcement is actively responding, Ash explained. Chief Kyes reported that Chelsea Police have completed 1800 arrests throughout the year so far. “That’s twice the number of arrests in Revere and Everett,” he said. “We are on the streets. We are out in force. But even with that, more needs to be done,” he added. The recent double homicide has left Baldwin deeply troubled. “All we can do is to carry on – working together. Coming back at it. Never letting up. We have to believe we can do this because we can,” she said. Baldwin echoed concerns that Kyes has voiced repeatedly: preventing violence becomes extremely difficult when young people possess firearms and are prepared to use them. “Drugs and guns cause much of the violence,” Baldwin stated. Despite his frustration with the ongoing violence and loss of life, Ash maintains an optimistic outlook. ROCA serves as a vital force in improving young people’s circumstances, while the Collaborative functions primarily as a community organizer, amplifying the voice and providing support to the minority community. City leaders will host a public forum on Thursday evening, September 16 at the Chelsea High School auditorium to tackle the violence problem, with Jay Ash leading the effort. “People need to step up. We must do better. We will do better,”said Ash
