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Law enforcement and clergy call for state to fund summer jobs and programming in wake of violence involving teens

Crowds at the beach in South Boston in 2020. (Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Crowds at the beach in South Boston in 2020. (Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Law enforcement and local clergy are calling for more state resources following a series of attacks in Boston by minors.

Several teenagers were involved in a recent assault at an MBTA station and a fight on Carson Beach in South Boston.

Community leaders say they don't exactly know what's driving the apparent increase in violence.

In a gathering Sunday at Carson Beach, the group prayed for peace and called for more state aid for summer jobs programs and swim lessons.

Suffolk County Interim District Attorney Kevin Hayden said his office will prioritize diversion programs for the teens in these cases, rather than criminal penalties.

"We need to always be mindful of the fact that we're dealing with young people, and we're dealing with young people that need help, need resources, and need opportunity," he said. "It's always our first approach."

Hayden said research shows young people are less likely to re-offend if they don't have a permanent criminal record.

Headshot of Walter Wuthmann

Walter Wuthmann State Politics Reporter
Walter Wuthmann is a state politics reporter for WBUR.

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