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Thursday January 7, 2016
Continued from Page 1 far. (PLEASE NOTE: South Boston Online has not fact-checked these last two statements yet.) A writer for South Boston Online visited the Andrew Square Convenience Store last weekend. The people minding the store confirmed that the store will be closed. The owners of the Andrew Square Convenience Store have not made specific plans yet, but will not stay open any longer than they have to. When we inquired if that decision might change, the people behind the counter replied, “No, it’s too risky here!” The armed robbery on Christmas Eve was another one of the many drug-related problems plaguing South Boston, but now the drug situation here has become outright dangerous. Drug problems all over Massachusetts have also gotten worse – much worse – over the last couple of years. In 2014, there were at least
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1,250 deaths from heroin overdoses statewide; complete statistics from 2015 are not yet available. There’s no doubt about the drug connection, because one of the four arrested is accused of threatening the store’s clerk with a hypodermic. At least one other was carrying both needles and opioids, allegedly, which is “possession with intent to distribute.” Andrew Square has had substantial difficulties with vagrants and drug users for almost five years. A Boston. com article from 2011 reported the large numbers of people “doing the lean” — shuffling across the Southampton Street Bridge into the square, hanging out around the businesses in the intersection, and stemming for spare change. One source of this pedestrian traffic are the large methadone clinics further down Southampton. Now, the homeless shelter that replaced the facilities on Long Island has added to the problem. To be fair, most of those receiving
Andrew Square Convenience Store on Dorchester Street is planning to close following four robberies. There was an armed robbery on Dec. 24.
methadone treatment and most of those who are homeless are innocent of any criminal behavior. They need help; they are entitled to use public ways. But now, public safety has become a key issue. When armed robberies are so frequent that a small business in Andrew Square shuts down, it’s long past time to cease being “politically correct” and
to put more visible law enforcement in place. A uniformed police officer in Andrew Square on foot or patrolling on a bicycle from mid-day until after dark would really help. “Let the uniform do the work,” as they say. Public safety has to take the first, topmost priority in South Boston, and anywhere else in Boston and Massachusetts.
Justice, gun control and change in America What do you think about this? By KEVIN DEVLIN I recently watched “Making a Mur-
derer,” the 10-part Netflix documentary about the true crime story of a Wisconsin man, Steven Avery, convicted of the 2005 murder of a young woman. He was previously in prison for 18 years for a sexual assault he never committed and was subsequently released after new evidence surfaced, which proved his innocence. He was in the process of suing the local police department for this miscarriage of justice when he was arrested and subsequently convicted for murder. Boy, talk about luck and talk about timing, hey? I was under the impression that this story was a two or a three-part documentary, but when I started watching it with my daughter, Deirdre, we
were hooked. The case was astounding: a clear case of injustice. His lawyers thought he was framed by local police. Or was it someone who knew the victim and wanted revenge, perhaps a jilted lover? In The New York Times on Jan. 5, the prosecutor in the case, Ken Kratz, was quoted as saying that the series “really presents misinformation” about the case, and omitted evidence such as sweat allegedly found on the victim’s car and bullets found in the garage. The documentary’s producers and Avery’s defense lawyer, Dean Strang, felt they presented the “most compelling evidence” in the case. The prosecution, using information obtained by cops by browbeating his intellectually-challenged nephew (who was also accused and convicted),
accused Avery of brutally killing and raping this woman in his bedroom. But not one smattering of the victim’s DNA or blood was found in the house or garage. Avery must have been a professional “cleaner” to take care of that arduous task. By the way, Kratz was a piece of work. In 2010 he was forced to resign from the DA’s office after being accused of sexting domestic abuse clients he was representing. At the time, he reportedly was abusing prescription drugs and seeking treatment for a sex addiction. The issue of gun control is again on the front burner in Washington. Tightening-up measures shouldn’t be so hard to accomplish. Make everyone living anywhere in America undergo background checks. This should be a no-brainer. If anyone has a felony
record or mental health issues, deep-six the application. Some feel there isn’t a gun show loophole, but if there is, close it and make every seller accountable to who, where, and when he sells the guns. Don’t allow those on the no fly list to be able to buy guns. Unfortunately, even when and if they finally get it right, it isn’t going to change much. Terrorists and other bad actors will always find a way to circumvent the rules and find a way to secure guns and then kill and maim others. And that issue brings me to why Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Republican candidate Donald Trump are so popular. Americans are sick of the political elite continuing their ineffective ways in our nation’s capital. Americans want change.
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