A high-profile murder on the MBTA Red Line last weekend notwithstanding, this has been a remarkably peaceful year on Massachusetts's streets — particularly in Boston, which has seen only eight homicides, with shootings down 35 percent from last year.
For once, officials are trying to address the problem during the calm before the next storm.
There will be many devils in the details, of course. An executive order on the state-city partnering has not been finalized, and may not be acceptable to mayors; there are also information-sharing impediments with which to grapple.
Also, Patrick has not specified how much of the $10 million price tag he wants to come from the state budget, and how much from private foundations — and whether, in the current fiscal situation, the figure is realistic at all.
Youth violence usually spikes in the summer, and with that season approaching it is important that Beacon Hill adopt the governor's proposal and for Patrick's administration to turn this work in progress into a set of working policies. Lives depend on it.
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