Grocery prices

I just got back from food shopping. As most people will tell you, prices are out of sight. A canned product I bought a couple of years ago at 99 cents is now $2.  We have all these rich Hollywood stars supporting Kamala Harris. When was the last time any one of them was even in a grocery store let alone shopping? So why do they care about the rest of us who have to pay the high prices? They give Kamala Harris a pass for her part in the inflation that the Biden-Harris team has put upon us with its policies.

Paul Quaglia

Billerica

Boston safety

I recently read two articles in the Boston Herald: The first was an editorial (“Safety first, politic second,” Sept. 10) and the second, a news story (“Seeking ‘peace of mind,’ Sept. 11).

In the news story, City Councilor Brian Worrell called for more of a police presence in both Dorchester and Mattapan as recent crime has rocked these two neighborhoods. He made this request on behalf of both the business community and residents. Worrell stressed that the police are not the silver bullet, but community members need to have a peace of mind that their neighborhoods are safe for young people, old people and everyone in between. Without such peace of mind, Worrell warned community members might decide to move somewhere else where they can feel safe. Worrell knows all parts of our city government must work together with the neighborhood business community and the residents who call Boston their home.

Ironically, the previous day, the Boston Herald ran an editorial that admonished elected city councilors to make safety their number one priority and not let politics get in the way.

Several city councilors now seem to be attacking the city’s commitment to ShotSpotter, a crime fighting tool  which alerts police to virtually all gunfire in a community’s coverage within 60 seconds. Police are aided by this warning system and it has saved lives.  However, recently, I watched a hearing by a City Council subcommittee which questioned how effective the system is in solving crimes. These progressive politicians just don’t seem to get it.

Many of these woke councilors cite a report by the ACLU which found that 70% of ShotSpotter alerts result in no evidence of gunfire. What about the 30% that did? Of course the woke mentality settles right in place. Why is this technology mostly used in communities of color like Roxbury and Dorchester? I say, why does the City Council Vice President Brian Worrell want more police presence in communities like Dorchester and Mattapan?  Could it be local businesses and the residents of these neighborhoods want safe neighborhoods?

It is time for the progressives on the Boston City Council to get real. Stop the nonsense, do your jobs and keep Boston safe for its people that are still calling Boston their homes. Stop the spin, deal with the actual facts in play. Bottom line, do your job.

Sergeant Sal Giarratani (ret.)

Metro Boston Area DMH P.D.