4/10/23 by Colette Lauture
The Boston Police Department is prepared for the considerably large security operation that is brought on by the 127th Boston Marathon, according to the city’s new police commissioner Michael Cox.
Speaking with WCVB’s Sharman Sachetti and Ed Harding for their politics show On the Record, Cox said that though this year’s race will be his first leading the BPD, it will be the “30 something-ish” marathon he has attended as a law enforcement official in the city.
“We have a whole host of law enforcement agencies —including federal— that are involved in making sure that it is a safe event,” Cox said.
This year will mark a decade since a terrorist bombing at the race’s end on Boylston Street killed three and injured hundreds, sending shock waves throughout the city and state. Cox said the BPD has adjusted their security operations since that tragedy, but did not go into specifics.
Cox was also questioned about violent crime in the city, where there have been 11 murders this year alone. Despite this, the commissioner said that Boston is quite safe. He added that he wants residents to know the police department is doing all they can to combat violent crime, but that the city’s officers cannot solve the violence problem alone.
“Safe communities exist when everyone in the community is involved in the safety of the community,” he said. He also encourages residents to collaborate with police officers and get to know one another.
The 127th Boston Marathon kicks off next Monday with the wheelchair division racers starting at 9:02 a.m. The men’s professional start is at 9:37 a.m., followed by the professional women at 9:47 a.m.