Boston police officials urged Bostonians and students at a press conference on Wednesday to keep an eye out for their fellow citizens in wake of the city’s recent increase in sexual assaults.
The Boston University Police Department, the Boston Police Department, the District Attorney’s office, the State Police Department and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police all had representatives speak at the conference, held at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade, in hopes of raising student safety awareness throughout the city.
Police re-released a composite sketch of a suspect forensically connected to four sexual assault cases from 2006 until 2009 earlier that morning. The suspect is described as being in his mid-20s or -30s, dark-skinned and of medium to large build.
Three of these assaults, all on different women, occurred along the Esplanade, police said, while the fourth was at Moakley Park in South Boston.
Despite the different locations, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said the agencies are confident that there is a single assailant involved in these cases.
Police said this summer two more unrelated sexual assaults were reported on the Esplanade.
All the agencies stressed the importance of awareness, particularly when travelling alone or at night.
“Practice basic common sense safety tips,” said State Police Col. Marian McGovern.
These tips included always carrying a charged cell phone, travelling in well-lit areas and practicing the buddy system, particularly at night.
Deborah Moore of Berkeley, Calif., was reading on the Esplanade when she heard about the assaults.
“I feel really sad and alarmed because this is the crown jewel of Boston,” she said. “Who would visit Boston without coming here?”
Moore, who was visiting her mother in Boston and had only been to the Esplanade a few times, said the news made her feel less safe as a woman in Boston.
Daniel Wing of Corinth, Vt., who was also relaxing on the Esplanade, said it did not affect his opinion of the area.
“As a country boy I’m cautious when I come to the city anyway,” he said.
The Esplanade is state property and therefore patrolled by the state police. Despite the warnings, police said the area is relatively safe and no one should be alarmed.
“We don’t want you to panic, and we don’t want you to live in fear,” Conley said.
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