City officials and community leaders share the sentiment that although progress has been made to public safety in Downtown Boston this year, there is still more work to be done.

Residents gathered at the Majestic Cutler Theatre for a public safety summit on Thursday, October 30 hosted by the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association.

The summit was a follow-up to a February meeting where 40 local organizations agreed to work together to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.

A panel, led by Rishi Shukla, co-founder of the neighborhood association, discussed topics such as public safety, open-air drug use and infrastructure.

Shukla said the collaboration between residents, businesses, organizations and officials has been a key factor in the progress made this year.

Boston Police Department Superintendent Robert Ciccolo said there has been a 37% decrease in public safety related 911 calls since February’s meeting.

He said there has also been a 29% decrease in violent crime in the neighborhood during that time.

“I walk the common a couple times per day. The difference between this year and last year is crazy,” said Joseph Janezic of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

At the summit, over a dozen people received frontline hero awards for their efforts in improving public safety this year.

Shukla said there have been a couple of outlier incidents but the overall feeling in the neighborhood is different this year.

Shukla also presented responses to a public safety survey recently sent out to residents. The survey asked the same questions as a survey sent out in November 2024.

33.7% of 320 residents who responded said they currently feel less safe downtown than they did at the start of 2025.

70.6% of residents said they felt less safe in November 2024 than in January 2024.

“We were in a much different place last year than we are now,” said Shukla. “We’re trending in the right direction but in no means is the work done.”

Ciccolo said a goal was set at February’s meeting to eliminate congregate open-air drug use.

“We have worked steadily towards that,” said Ciccolo. “We see many fewer actual large groups.”

Ciccolo said police work with public health partners to get addicts “where they need to be” with dignity, respect, and firmness.

Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Bisola Ojikutu said there has been a 65% decrease in syringe related 311 calls in the neighborhood this year.

She said the city’s health department strives to help improve the quality of life and end congregate open-air drug use.

Ojikutu said harm reduction practices are used to stop the onward transmission of diseases.

A “critical” part of harm reduction is navigating people to treatment, she said.

200 people are sent to receive treatment for addiction each month, said Ojikutu.

“One needle on the ground is too many,” said Ojikutu, who recognized the work of city workers tasked with picking up needles.

Another emphasis this year in the neighborhood has been the cleanliness of sidewalks.

Shulka said that every sidewalk was surveyed to figure out the areas that required the most attention.

Before and after photos were displayed on a screen showing results of the efforts to clean up sidewalks.

Other issues such as pedestrian safety and retail theft were also discussed.