It may be the season to be jolly but Boston Police are warning residents to be careful during the holiday season.
Captain Tom Lee told the Charlestown Neighborhood Council (CNC) Tuesday night that while it’s good news that overall crime has dropped in Charlestown by 25 percent since the beginning of the year, the holiday season brings an increase in crime, especially robberies.
Police are still searching for the suspect who sprayed a young woman with mace during a vicious assault and stole her pocketbook while she was walking home from MBTA Community College station at the end of November.
Typically, Charlestown averages about three robberies per month. There were four robberies in Charlestown in November, according to Lee.
Captain Lee says an extra patrol has been added from 4 p.m to midnight.
“Charlestown is a safe neighborhood but things do happen. We are concerned. Putting on extra patrols is our best offense against these crimes,” said Lee.
He says there’s been a huge increase of robberies of Iphones and Smartphones in other parts of the city but so far not in Charlestown.
“If you’re in a place where you’re not comfortable pulling out cash, don’t take out your phone,” said Lee.
The CNC also discussed getting the word out to residents, especially the elderly, about shuttle service to supermarkets in the area now that Johnnie’s Foodmaster is closed.
Chairman Tom Cunha said a lot of hard work by the council went in to setting up the shuttle service for residents.
Both Shaw’s and Stop and Shop will offer shuttles to their Somerville and Medford locations.
“The secret to this shuttle working will be ridership. We’ll get the word out about the shuttle by putting up posters in stores and other locations for the elderly,” said Cunha.
Whole Foods recently announced they will provide a free shuttle to the Beacon Hill store Thursday through Saturday.
Whole Foods is expected to open in the former Johnnie’s Foodmaster location in about a year.
The CNC recently announced that they have launched a new website, www.charlestownneighborhoodcouncil.org.