Over 100 South End residents, Boston Police Department officers and elected officials attended a community meeting regarding drug use and crime in the neighborhood.

The meeting, held at Cathedral High School on October 23 was put on by homeowners Matt and Ryan Rogers- Hammond, who were victims of a home break-in in August.

Residents shared stories about recent troubling and endangering experiences in the area and asked police and officials to take action.

Many attendees agreed that public safety in the neighborhood is worse than it has ever been. At the meeting, Hammond and Rogers-Hammond released results of a survey they had spread around the neighborhood.

183 residents responded to the survey. 80% of those residents said they feel less safe than they did at the beginning of the year. Homeowner Josh Oppenheim said he deals with the problem of open-air drug use and drug dealing on his street, and that it has gotten worse this year.

“There is not a consistent focus on law and order,” said Oppenheim, who added he calls or texts the police “almost daily” due to open-air drug use.

“We want to ensure residents feel safe living and operating businesses,” said Rogers-Hammond. “We want people to get help too. One should never come at the expense of the other.”

Rogers-Hammond called for arrested drug users to be placed in long-term treatment beds. “Instead of directing towards lasting help, it seems people are given clean needles, Narcan and re-enter the cycle,” she said.

Hammond said the response of police and city officials needs to match the scale of the problem.

He urged city officials to think of what else they could be doing to help children who are exposed to indecency and step over needles on their way to school in the morning.

92% of residents who responded to the survey believe that public safety is an urgent issue the neighborhood is currently facing.

“We are here to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood,” said Kellie Young, who directs the city’s coordinated response team to combat the drug problem.

Young said the three focus areas of the response team are public safety, recovery and judicial initiatives.

State Representative John Moran, who is a member of the coordinated response team, said solutions are being worked on.

“We can’t just have folks going into detox for three days,” said Moran. “We need long-term solutions.”

Young said in recent months the city has placed 200 individuals into long term rehabilitation.

“I hear the anger,” said District 4 Police Captain Shawn Burns. “I hear the frustration. At the Boston Police Department, we hear you and we’re not going anywhere.”

A zero-tolerance policy for open-air drug use was introduced in April, said Burns, who added that there has been a 165% increase in related arrests over that time. Residents were split on whether they have noticed an improvement in public safety since September 1, when police presence in the neighborhood was strengthened.

32% of residents have noticed an increase in public safety while 28% have seen a decrease since September 1.

40% have seen little change, according to the survey sent out by Hammond and Rogers-Hammond. Boston Police Sergeant Jarrod Gero said 16 officers have been in the South End daily since September with a specific focus on combatting open-air drug use and dealing.

Gero urged residents in attendance to call police if they witness any open-air drug use.