By Bill Forry
Managing Editor

Boston police have stepped up patrols citywide and particularly in district three- which includes all of Mattapan and a large part of western Dorchester. Although police figures show that overall crime statistics are on the decrease in Area B-3, violent crime has spiked dramatically in the last several months.

Captain Timothy Murray, the commander at district three, says that an additional six to seven police cars are patrolling the district every night as part of a citywide operation ordered by Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole. The increased presence comes in the wake of a series of homicides and shootings throughout the city's neighborhoods, including a double-homicide on August 5 on Dorchester's Dyer Street, which is in district three.

In that incident, two men were shot to death in a house just after 8 p.m. One died at the scene and the other was taken to Boston Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. On Wednesday, police identified the deceased as 18 year-old Yuri R. Hamilton,of Dorchester, and 25 year-old Eric Evans Jr. of New York.

Police were looking for a man, about 6-foot-4, wearing a white T-shirt with black sleeves and driving a white BMW, for questioning. Murray says that the incident is being probed by the homicide division.

Although B-3 only covers 3.19 square miles of the city, the district accounts for a disproportinate of the recent gunplay in Boston. Over the last 18 months, district three has the second highest rate of gun arrests in the city. Murray notes that roughly three out of every four guns that are either siezed or recovered by police in the city are done so in Dorchester, Roxbury or Mattapan.

"We're just making so many gun arrests right now," Murray says. "There is a strong demand by young people to obtain and carry firearms."

Murray says that a reduction in other types of crime- most notably car thefts- is responsible for the overall decrease in crime on district three. Murray has introduced a new public awareness campaign aimed at educating car owners to protect themselves by using anti-theft devices like The Club. Murray says the campaign is aimed particularly at people who drive late-model Toyotas and Hondas, which have the highest rate of theft in the nation, according to Murray.

The captain also says that increased patrols have helped police make several "good arrests" in recent days.

On Saturday, August 7, a district three police patrol car spotted a man in a red Mazda driving at a high rate of speed make the corner from River Street onto Cummins Highway. According to police reports, when Officers Jack Conway and Dean Bickerton attempted to pull the vehicle over, the suspect refused and a pursuit began. With the aide of a second cruiser -with Sergeant Keith Webb and Officer Michael Paillant aboard- the car was boxed in and finally stopped near Rexford Street.

The driver, 30 year-old Lawrence Faulcher of Cambridge, was arrested at the scence. Inside the car, police found a fully-loaded, semi-automatic Desert Eagle uzi-style gun, with an extended clip, next to the driver's seat. According to Captain Murray, Faulcher was charged with numerous gun violations and with refusing to stop for officers.

Another notable arrest came last Sunday morning (Aug. 8), when a pair of B-3 policemen driving through Codman Square interrupted a brutal sidewalk stick-up that left one Dorchester man in the hospital and two more in handcuffs. Now, B-3 police are probing whether the collar foiled a armed robbery duo that's been plauging the district in recent weeks.

Officers Anthony Williams and James "Ducky" Clark happened upon the incident at about 12:40 a.m. at the corner of Talbot Avenue and Washington Street. The pair, cruising in an unmarked cruiser as part of beefed-up patrols related to Operation Neighborhood Shield, saw two men engaged in a "struggle".

According to a police report, the officers, who were stopped at a traffic light, observed 41 year-old David Singleton of Dorchester body-slam the victim onto a newspaper vending box. The 6'5", 230 pound Singletson than allegedly produced a handgun from his waist and pistol-whip the man, who was then lying in a fetal position on the ground.

When officers activated their sirens and sped to the man's aide, Singleton pointed the handgun at the policemen's car and dashed to a waiting Lincoln Town Car, driven by John Williams. Officers Clark and Williams leveled their own service revolvers at Singleton and ordered him to drop his weapon. Singleton tossed the gun- which later turned out to be a replica and not a working firearm- and attempted to flee on foot. After a brief chase, Williams and Clark were able to subdue and cuff the suspect- and then his alleged get-away driver, 36-year-old John Williams, also of Dorchester.

The victim, who suffered serious injuries to his face as a result of the beating, recovered his wallet, which police say was the motive in the vicious attack.

"Were it not for the professional and heroic response of officers Williams and Clark, I hate to think what would have happened to the victim," said Captain Murray, who also praised the partners for their "restraint" in the face of Singleton's "threat" with the fake gun.

"Detectives on district three are now investigating whether the robber tandem is involved in any of the other street muggings we've seen recently," Murray said. "Particularly in light of the violence and weaponry that was used in this attack."