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Standing roughly 100 yards from where a man was killed last week, Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis vowed to confront the violence that has rocked the city, announcing the arrests of 50 gang members and drug dealers yesterday in a targeted sweep of some of Boston's toughest neighborhoods.
One of those arrested was the alleged triggerman in a quadruple shooting last week in Hyde Park. Caiheem C. Kindell, 18, of Brockton was charged with four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition, police said.
"This sends a message, a clear message, to those individuals that gang-related and violent activity is not acceptable," said the commissioner, flanked by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, police officials, and rank-and-file officers in Roxbury.
The sweep, targeting those with outstanding warrants, was part of a Boston police response to the beginning of a violent summer with gang shootings and retaliations.
Last week, two people were killed and five others were shot in four shootings during an eight-hour stretch.
The announcement, with a public display of force including gang unit officers, motorcycle crews, and mounted police, was made near the Warren Gardens housing complex, a neighborhood that has had a significant share of the violence.
Today, the family of Jarvis Anderson plans a funeral to remember the 20-year-old who was killed in a drive-by shooting on July 5 in the same complex.
"Law-abiding and peaceful residents deserve an environment where people can feel safe," Davis said.
Police said last night that they planned to continue the sweep in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan, the neighborhoods that have seen the most violence, armed with more arrest warrants.
Those arrested face charges that include possession with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm, drug distribution, and armed robbery.
Menino said other criminals and gang members should take note.
"The message out today is if you're out there, we're going to find you," the mayor said. "We're going to get you, and we're going to lock you up ... and throw away the key."
Police conduct such sweeps regularly in an effort to remove some of the biggest players in violence from the streets.
In January, a similar sweep netted more than 80 arrests after a bloody beginning of the year, with eight killings in less than three weeks.
Davis also vowed to sustain police patrols throughout the city's neighborhoods, with officers walking streets, riding bicycles, and greeting residents to provide a sense of security.
"We need to be here, to make it clear to the people who live here that they will be safe," Davis said.
The promise brought a sense of assurance for residents who are tired of the violence.
Edna Webb, who lives in Warren Gardens, said she can no longer let her children play in the area out of fear they could be hit by gunfire.
Two weeks ago, a 7-year-old was hit by a stray bullet in what police said was a gang shooting in Roxbury. The boy was treated at a hospital, and has been released.
"The last two years, there's been too much violence," Webb said. "It's very, very scary."
