Roxbury police say a moped crackdown cut moped robberies by two-thirds. The council's moped requests are still open

Boston police in District B-2, which covers much of Roxbury and parts of Dorchester, say a summer push against unregistered mopeds cut moped robberies sharply, the Dorchester Reporter reported. The numbers came at the district's first Community CompStat meeting, held Oct. 27 at the Roxbury YMCA with the department's Boston Regional Intelligence Center.

Mopeds and fast e-bikes are among the most common street safety complaints councilors hear, and the rules for them are being written at both City Hall and the State House.

What police reported

According to the Reporter:

• A survey. A district public safety survey drew 78 responses. Residents most often cited open drug use, homelessness, traffic and pedestrian safety, and enforcement of scooter and moped laws.
• "Operation Kickstand." Lt. Zachary Crossen said moped enforcement became a major focus in late summer. Moped robberies fell 67% from June and July to August and September, he said.
• Quality-of-life stops. Since June, officers recorded 369 quality-of-life interactions: 11% led to mental health or treatment referrals, 26% to criminal summonses and 18% to arrests.
• Crime trends. From Jan. 1 to Oct. 23, major crimes were down 5% from the same period last year, commercial burglaries down 39% and domestic aggravated assaults up 38%.
• Monthly meetings. Capt. Adam Mammone, the district commander since March, said the goal is to hold the meetings about monthly.

These are the department's own figures, as reported by the paper; we have not seen the underlying data.

What our records add

The council asked for moped crash data in April. We found no answer. On April 15 the council passed City Councilor Ed Flynn's Section 17F order on mopeds and e-bikes (docket 0816). The order asks for five years of crash data, including crashes involving app-based food delivery riders; hospital transports; police, fire and EMS incident reports; and whether every delivery rider on a moped or e-bike must register with the city and carry insurance. That was 204 days ago. We found no administration response filed with the council.

An e-bike ordinance has waited 267 days. Flynn's ordinance regulating e-bikes in Boston (docket 0326), with seven sponsors, has been in the Government Operations Committee since Feb. 11. "My ordinance remains in the government operations committee," Flynn said in May (watch at 3:14:25).

The council backed the governor's bill, 12-0. On May 13 the council adopted Flynn and City Councilor Miniard Culpepper's resolution supporting Gov. Maura Healey's Ride Safe Act (docket 1009). The council's resolution describes the bill this way: higher-speed devices would be kept off sidewalks and bike lanes, and mopeds would need a license, registration and insurance; lower-speed e-bikes would follow bike lane rules, with helmets required for riders under 16. The governor filed the bill May 4, according to StreetsblogMASS. We found no report of a committee vote on it since.

What police told the council. At a Sept. 10 Public Safety hearing, a police official described the department's approach: a moped is "not a scooter, it's a motorcycle," and riders without a helmet, insurance or license will be stopped, have the moped seized or be arrested (watch at 2:14:16). City Councilor Enrique Pepén asked how police avoid targeting delivery workers who register and follow the law (2:14:38).

Delivery riders are under a city ordinance too. The delivery-app ordinance that took effect Jan. 1 requires companies to hold a city permit and share trip data. On Nov. 4 the council sent City Councilor Sharon Durkan's order for a hearing on whether it is working to committee (docket 2102).

What's next

• B-2's next community meeting is expected in about a month, the Reporter reported.
• The delivery ordinance hearing has no date yet. The Planning, Development and Transportation Committee's chair sets it.
• The Ride Safe Act still needs action by the Legislature.