Top 20 complaint calls to Boston City Hall

16.32    

Top 20 citizen complaints


Driven by an sharp increase in smart phone requests, the number of reports to Boston’s constituent service program has surged in recent years, rising 35 percent since 2010.


The tracking system, which collects reports by phone, website, and mobile application and dispatches them to work crews across the city, has gained growing popularity as a way for residents to make service requests, such as bulk-item pickups, and report all manner of neighborhood issues, from potholes to graffiti.


Here’s a look at the top 20 types of calls to hit the desk, according to the City of Boston.


Pictured: Connor McKay taking a call at the Mayor's 24 hour Constituent Hotline at Boston City Hall.



Boston Ma 05/22/2013 Connor McKay (cq) taking a call at the Mayor's 24 hour Constituent Hotline at Boston City Hall. He is a Co-op student from Northeastern University. ( Jonathan.Wiggs )Topic:Section:Reporter: Topic: Reporter:

Top 20 citizen complaints




Driven by an sharp increase in smart phone requests, the number of reports to Boston’s constituent service program has surged in recent years, rising 35 percent since 2010.


The tracking system, which collects reports by phone, website, and mobile application and dispatches them to work crews across the city, has gained growing popularity as a way for residents to make service requests, such as bulk-item pickups, and report all manner of neighborhood issues, from potholes to graffiti.


Here’s a look at the top 20 types of calls to hit the desk, according to the City of Boston.


Pictured: Connor McKay taking a call at the Mayor's 24 hour Constituent Hotline at Boston City Hall.


Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff


AAA
Jamaica Plain-8/28/2009-As preparations are being made on Tremont Street and the Mission Church on Tremont Street for the funeral of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on Saturday, William Ritchie leans from a bucket truck to paint the rust on a city street sign pole on Smith Street behind the Mission Church. He works for the City of Boston Traffic Signal Dept. as they spent the day touching up the poles in the area that were rusty.. Boston Globe staff photo by John Tlumacki (metro) Tlumacki / OUTTAKe 0903

20. Sign repair



Calls in 2012: 1,894


William Ritchie leans from a bucket truck to paint the rust on a city street sign pole on Smith Street behind Mission Church in Jamaica Plain. He works for the City of Boston Traffic Signal Dept. as they spent the day touching up the poles in the area that were rusty in 2009.


John Tlumacki/Globe Staff


AAA
(mayors24.cityofboston.gov) for story by Peter Schworm 09complaints

19. Sticker Request



Calls in 2012: 2,064


Pictured: Screenshot of type of complaints sent to Citizens Connect.


mayors24.cityofboston.gov


AAA
Boston-5/28/99- The cause of all the rush-hour holiday traffic was this section of Rt93 northbound over the Charles River, as one section of the roadway buckled in , leaving a gap in the height where two steel finger joints are supposed to be even. Traffic northbound is seen squeezing into two lanes, as the far rt lane was closed in the area. Mass. Highway workers will try to raise the section at night. library tag 05291999 metro

18. Highway Maintenance



Calls in 2012:2,113


John Tlumacki/Globe Staff


AAA
West Roxbury,MA 05/23/07 Animal Control officer Sgt Pat Conroy removes dead coyote pup. A dead coyote puppy was dumped on a Francesca Street lawn by its mother causing a brief panic in the crowded neighborhood as people feared for their small children getting ready for school. (George Rizer/globe staff) Library Tag 05242007

17. Pick up Dead Animal



Calls in 2012: 2,169


Pictured: Animal Control officer Sgt. Pat Conroy removes a dead coyote pup in 2007. A dead coyote puppy was dumped on a Francesca Street lawn by its mother causing a brief panic in the crowded neighborhood as people feared for their small children getting ready for school.


George Rizer/ Globe Staff


AAA
A rat trap with bacon as bait sits on the pavement behind a Boylston Street restaurant in Public Alley 443 in the Back Bay where rats are rampant. Library Tag 08202003 Metro

16. Rodent Activity



Calls in 2012: 2,325


John Tlumacki/Globe Staff


AAA
Boston, MA 032708 Frank McDonough(cq) talks to a caller at the Mayor's hotline complaint tracking center at Boston City Hall, Thursday, March 27, 2008. (Globe Staff Photo/Wendy Maeda) section: Metro slug: Complaint reporter: Donovan Slack Library Tag 04062008 National/Foreign

15. General Comments For a Program or Policy



Calls in 2012: 2,381


Wendy maeda/Globe Staff


AAA
FOR METRO ADVANCE: Boston,MA 03/14/08 Bottle laws in this state don't include plastic and juice containers - yet. Collection here in recycling bin found in Savin Hill. (George Rizer/globe staff) section:metro Library Tag 12282009

14. Request for Recycling Cart



Calls in 2012: 2,827


George Rizer/ Globe Staff


AAA
Cambridge, MA 6/22/07 (L-R) Steve Cochrane and Chuck Hurst of Republic Electric remove a traffic light on Mass. Ave to make way for three Harvard houses to be moved down Mass. Ave to a new location a few blocks away on Saturday, June 23, 2007. One of the houses being moved is at rear with black roof. section: metro Evan Richman/Globe Staff -- Library Tag 06232007 Metro

13. Traffic Signal Repair



Calls in 2012: 2,846


Evan Richman/Globe Staff


AAA
Boston...Post Office Square Festival of Fountains..David Laspada of Billerica working for Park At Post Office Square Maintenance adjusts the height of the water spout on the fountain in the square as Mayor Menino in background holds a press conferance.

12. Park Maintenance Requests



Calls in 2012: 2,909


David L. RYAN/GLOBE STAFF


AAA
Everett-1/30/99Workers wears a contamination suits as they remove the contents of the Trombetta house, where the 5 children were removed because of severe neglect and squalid living conditions inside. They wore suits because of the possibility of airborne contaminates eminating from animal feces, cockroaches and trash piled inside.

11. Unsatisfactory Living Conditions



Calls in 2012: 3,782


John TLUMACKI/ GLOBE STAFF


AAA
FOR METRO. Boston, MA 8/3/2010 Naomi Paul (cq), co-chair of the Clean Streets Committee, makes a call (she either calls the Mayor's hotline or ISD - the Inspectional Services Departments) along Hanover St. in the North End and identifies trash that has been illegally left on the street, in Boston, MA on Tuesday, August 3, 2010. (Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff) Section: METRO Slug: 04northend Reporter: Meghan Irons / library tag 08092010 metro

10. Improper Storage of Trash



Calls in 2012: 3,890


Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff


AAA
BOSTON...UP HIGH... GRAFFITI CLEAN UP...by Boston City employee Alan Lockhart from Property Management Dept on Ipswich Street

9. Graffiti Removal



Calls in 2012: 4,174


David L Ryan/Globe Staff


AAA
Boston-091411-- City authorities closed down a drug house at 55 Quincy Street,Roxbury.. Steven O'Donnell is the Community Outreach Director with the Dpt. of Inspectional Services. He surveys the trash strewn in the backyard. Boston Globe staff photo by John Tlumacki (metro)

8. Missed Trash/Recycling/Yard Waste/Bulk Item



Calls in 2012: 6,264


John Tlumacki/ Globe Staff


AAA
Boston, MA 111011 Ken Griffen (cq) of Harrison & Associates in Norfolk prepared to prune an American Elm tree on Commonwealth Mall in the Back Bay, Thursday, November 10 2011. Employed by Friends of the Public Garden, the crew of 3 men were performing structural maintenance on some 30 American and English Elm trees for the next 2 weeks. The pruning, which takes place every 3 years, is typically done during the cold weather season, when beetles, who have nearly decimated these elm, are in hibernation and not in flight. (Globe Staff Photo/Wendy Maeda) section: Metro slug: 11standalone reporter: In-Cap Library Tag 11132011 Metro

7. Tree Maintenance, New Tree, Tree Emergency requests



Calls in 2012: 6,264


Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff


AAA
REMOTE TRANSMISSION -- REMOTE TRANSMISSION--- Boston, MA - 6/21/04 - Boston city crews had to break up this sidewalk in front of 21 Fort Avenue, but the bricks are still to be replaced. (A finisher works on the home's door.) (Globe Staff Photo/Pat Greenhouse) (Story by Christine MacDonald) Library Tag 06272004 City Weekly

6. Sidewalk repair



Calls in 2012: 6,552


Pat Greenhouse/ Globe Staff


AAA
7/31/05 -- Dorchester, MA -- Lyndhurst Street -- (in front of 4 and 6 Lyndhurst Street) -- Vernita Bell, resident of 6 Lyndhurst Street, has taken it upon herself to maintain her patch of Lyndhurst Street. She comes out in the evening every other day or so, by her estimate, to sweep the trash and debris from the roadside and sidewalk in the area near her building. Bell's eldest son, Larry Dean Bell, was murdered six years ago just after his sixteenth birthday. Lyndhurst street, which is in Codman Square in Dorchester, has become so riddled with violence and crime that Globe Ministries pastor Bruce Wall has decided to "occupy" it for one week starting Sunday, July 31, 2005. Photo by Dina Rudick, Globe Staff. Story by Megan Tench. - Library Tag 08062005 Metro

5. Requests for Street Cleaning



Calls in 2012: 6,781


Dina Rudick/Globe Staff


AAA
REMOTE TRANSMISSION--- 9-13-2004:Medford,MA:GLOBE STAFF PHOTO/JIM DAVIS..The streetlight at the corner of Central Avenue and Evans Street was out at 7:15 p.m. (Streetlight 1) but at that very moment, two utiltiy trucks pulled up, and a workman proceeded to go up in his bucket and start to repalce it (Streetlight 2), and after he finsished the replacement, he turned the new light on (Streetlight 3). Library Tag 09162004 Globe NorthWest 1, 2 Library Tag 06262005 Globe NorthWest 1, 2 Library Tag 01012006 Globe NorthWest 2 Library Tag 01082006 Globe NorthWest 1,2

4. Street Lights



Calls in 2012: 9,598


Jim Davis/Globe Staff


AAA
March 3 1970 / fromthearchive / AP Wirephoto / These upside-down boots provide a humorous depiction of falling knee-deep into a Boston pothole on Arlington Street.

3. Pothole repair



Calls in 2012: 11,552


These upside-down boots provided a humorous depiction of falling knee-deep into a Boston pothole on Arlington Street in 1970.


AP Wirephoto


AAA
Boston Ma 05/22/2013 Service request board at the Mayor's 24 hour Constituent Hotline at Boston City Hall. ( Jonathan.Wiggs )Topic:Section:Reporter: Topic: Reporter:

2. General Request



Calls in 2012: 20,186


Pictured: Service request board at the Mayor's 24 hour Constituent Hotline at Boston City Hall.


Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff


AAA
Boston-12/30/2010- Vladimar Diaz with Capital Waste Services contemplates what to do with a tv/vcr combo that was left on East Third Street in South Boston to save a parking spot. His crew went around collecting trash on the regular trash pick up day but werte also ordered to put all place-savers in the trash. He was not allowed to put the tv in the truck because, and put it in a snowbank instead. It will have to be picked up by another truck collection hazardous waste. Boston Globe staff photo by John Tlumacki reporter is Billy Baker(metro) Library Tag 12312010

1. Schedule a Bulk Item Pickup



Calls in 2012: 21,740


Pictured: Vladimar Diaz with Capital Waste Services contemplates what to do with a TV/VCR combo that was left on East Third Street in South Boston to save a parking spot.


John Tlumacki/Globe Staff


AAA