Detectives from the Boston Police Department’s District B-2 are turning to the neighborhood for help after an attempted armed robbery on Wednesday at Quincy Street and Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury. Investigators have released surveillance stills and video from the busy intersection and are combing through the footage, but as of Thursday no arrests had been announced. Police say they are especially interested in hearing from neighbors and passersby who may have recorded the incident on their phones.
What Police Released and How to Tip
On Thursday, Boston Police issued a community alert with the surveillance images and video and asked anyone with information to contact detectives assigned to District B-2 as they sort through the evidence. The post lists a detectives’ phone number at (617) 343-4275 and directs people to submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting TIP to 27463. The department notes that it will protect the identities of people who come forward, according to the Boston Police Department.
Nearby Incidents and Corridor Context
Blue Hill Avenue, which cuts through central Roxbury, has seen a string of recent gun-related incidents and police alerts that have residents and business owners on edge. In April, Gunfire On Blue Hill Ave sent one person to the hospital, and in July a shots-fired investigation covered by Boston.com asked the public to help identify two people on a tandem moped believed to be involved.
How Detectives Use Community Tips
District detectives routinely sift through surveillance feeds and cellphone clips as part of their cases, and the Boston Police Department’s District B-2 page spells out how to reach investigators and file anonymous tips. According to the department, public leads and video submissions have helped crack earlier Roxbury cases by pointing detectives to suspects and key pieces of evidence.
Being named a person of interest in a case does not mean someone has been charged; prosecutors make charging decisions after investigators present their evidence. Police also urge anyone who recorded the incident to keep the original, unedited files so detectives can properly analyze them…