This is a great piece of news, courtesy of the Globe.

Some of Boston's most crime-plagued neighborhoods have experienced double-digit percentage drops in shootings this year, according to new police statistics.

Citywide, shootings are down nearly one-third compared with the same time last year. The number of homicides is down 17 percent, and violent crime overall is down by about 10 percent.

(** Now, a cynic would note that, while crime may be down when compared to last year, last year was a lot higher than the year before, and a lot higher than the year before that. Meaning, crime levels are still higher than they were five years ago, when Boston was enjoying the lowest crime rate ever.)

Source: City's crime numbers dive - By Maria Cramer, The Boston Globe