The new A-1 police community liaison has started meeting with neighborhood leaders across the district in order to establish priorities for what the police should be focusing on.

Sgt. Sean Wallace was appointed about one month ago after the former liaison, Sgt. Zachary Crossen, was transferred.

In that time, he’s reached out to leaders of the Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA), as well as multiple Downtown organizations, such as the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association and the business group, the Downtown Boston Alliance.

“The biggest takeaway I got from him is that he wants us to reach out,” said Patricia Tully, executive director of the BHCA, who met with Wallace last Tuesday. “He wants us to call him for whatever we need, and to not hesitate to do so. I felt that he was extremely nice, and very eager to engage with us.”

Josh Leffler, the BHCA’s chair, said he had not yet had the chance to meet with Wallace due to scheduling mismatches, but that he seemed “very communicative.”

“The men and women of A-1 have been responsive and communicative and advocates for public safety in our neighborhood, and so the first thing we want to communicate to Sgt. Wallace is that the success we’ve had has come as a result of continual engagement between A-1 and Beacon Hill,” Leffler said. “Although not perfect, there has been much success over Sgt. Crossen’s time at A-1, in the past several years. There have also been public safety issues that have not been fully remediated, and we hope to work with him in solving those challenges.”

Sgt. Crossen, the previous liaison, was transferred last month after two years on the job. Neighborhood leaders said he set a high benchmark because he was consistently available and actively reached out to them to help solve problems in the district. According to Tully, Wallace also knew Crossen well.

Tully said the biggest issues Wallace plans to focus on are car break-ins, stolen packages, and quality-of-life issues relating to homelessness and drug use. He also suggested putting in more security cameras in the neighborhood, which Tully said is something residents have been asking about.

“It’s a neighborhood that is dealing with a drug and mental health emergency,” Leffler said. “People struggling with drug or mental health issues find themselves in Beacon Hill needing help.

We’re here to work with first responders, including Sgt. Wallace’s department, and getting those individuals off the street and getting them the care that they need, and A-1 plays an important role in that.”

Wallace started at the BPD in 2013, according to publicly available city payroll records, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2024.