Progress has been made in cleaning up the elements of crime in Downtown and the Boston Common since last year’s dramatic increase in drug abuse and drug dealing. But for the partners invested in dealing with those criminal elements, the work is far from over.

That progress was the catalyst for a public office hour held by City Councilors Ed Flynn and Sharon Durkan on May 14, where residents were able to pick the brains of police officials and civic organizations working towards solutions.

“But it needs to be sustained, and we can’t rest on that brief success we’ve had because if we take a victory lap and rest and don’t continue that enhanced and engaged advocacy and leadership in Downtown, Back Bay and Beacon Hill,” said Flynn, “we could be back where we were last year.”

Residents shared positive feedback about the direction of Brewer Fountain and the Boston Common during the meeting, Durkan recalled, reflecting a sense that things were moving in a positive direction.

This turnaround of opinion comes after a public hearing last November where residents and nonprofits provided testimony on the conditions of the area at the time, which included drug dealing, drug use and other downstream criminal activity.

During that public hearing, Rishi Shukla, co-founder of the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association, presented results from a survey taken by over 300 residents, workers and Downtown business owners where 71% said that they felt less safe than they did at the start of 2024.

In February, a coalition of city and state officials and area leaders sat down to form the One Downtown Task Force, intended to provide multifaceted solutions to quality-of-life issues facing Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. That task force is expected to remain active through fall of this year.

“From my point of view, we’ve had a lot of success over the last couple of months. Noticeable changes in the types of activity you’re seeing in the Boston Common,” said Shukla, a co-chair of the task force.

“This year compared to last year, same exact moment in time, it is a vastly different park than it was last year.”

Police have since increased their visibility in the area and honed in specifically on public drug use and drug selling, Flynn said, driving much of the progress seen in Downtown and in Boston Common. He stressed the importance that things need to continue trending as they are, as the city cannot afford to move back.

Shukla says that at least anecdotally, he’s hearing the complete opposite of what he was hearing from residents this time last year and sightings of human waste and used needles have gone down dramatically. They intend to put out another survey over the summer to better gage community sentiments.

In addition to policing, the perceptions of the area’s safety have been boosted by a general focus on maintenance and reactivation of key areas of the Downtown and Boston Common. Significant activation efforts are currently planned for Brewer Plaza and Winter Street

“Foot traffic has increased, especially with the opening of the new Flour Bakery, which has added energy and vibrancy to the area,” noted Durkan. “That is the key, activation. A safer space is not just about policing. It is about creating a place where people want to gather.”