DORCHESTER PROBATION OFFICERS TEAM UP
WITH BOSTON POLICE TO TARGET VIOLENT OFFENDERS
AS PART OF OPERATION SILENT NIGHT

A group of probation officers from the Boston Municipal Court - Dorchester Division joined with members of the Boston Police Department's Youth Violence Strike Force and officers from Area B-3 and Area C-11 this week during a two-day early morning warrant sweep that removed 30 violent offenders from the streets of Boston as part of the 4th annual Operation Silent Night.

Silent Night, the brainchild of a Dorchester Court probation officer, is an annual collaborative effort which pairs probation officers with Boston police to apprehend offenders who have outstanding warrants. The sweep targeted approximately 60 offenders from the Dorchester Court. A total of 62 homes were visited during the early morning hours on Monday and Tuesday .The seven probation officers and one assistant chief probation officer, accompanied by the Boston Police, went to residences in the Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury area. An arrest was also made in Charlestown.

"Our goal is to get these violent offenders off the streets so that their family members and others in the community can have a more peaceful holiday," said Dorchester Chief Probation Officer Bernard Fitzgerald.

Ninety-five percent of the offenders have domestic violence-related offenses and the other five percent are allegedly gang-involved, according to Dorchester Probation Officer Thomas Todd who designed Operation Silent Night.

"There is a lot more stress during the holidays, more financial strain, people trying to rekindle already broken relationships. It's a tough time and it can be a violent time," said Todd. "We want to help make it safe for all involved."