Is Easton the "new Brockton" (Quincy, Plymouth: 2015, credit)

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by wror

Easton Ma. has had more murders this year than Brockton,Ma.

Yes, but it's one data point ... a data point which isn't particularly helpful in portraying the real crime/poverty issues in both towns. The reality is, Brockton's violent crime rate is still 10x higher than Easton. Easton also has a per capita and median household income nearly twice that of Brockton. Headlines might trigger concern, but the stats clearly show Easton is not Brockton ... yeah know, in case driving through both towns didn't make that blatantly clear.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by Bruins3445

I found this thread interesting. When we were looking to buy a home we were priced out of Easton. I'd always heard good things about the town. But when we mentioned to others that we were disappointed we were priced out of Easton they said it isn't all it was cracked up to be, so don't sweat not being able to pay a premium to live there. That was earlier this year. Didn't think much of it until I started following this thread. So when I got to work I asked my buddies what they think of Easton? One said it is a "wanna be Sharon but it is actually more on par with Stoughton. Don't tell people who live there that though, they have a sincere level of snobbery in Easton." To which a couple other guys laughed. One chimed in saying his sister in law moved out of Easton last year. Said the schools were disappointing and in need of updating. Said there is a major drug epidemic, reaching as far as young grade likes 5th graders. He said the nail in the coffin for his SIL was battling the traffic due to the Target plaza. Said its only gotten worse because there is no direct highway in Easton. I thought that wasn't true? But he said you need to travel to Norton, Bridgewater, Mansfield/Foxboro, or Brockton to get to a highway. I guess the new stores have made traffic worse. Back to the question at hand. I asked if they thought it was the new Brockton? They said yes. All but one. The older guy I work with said "No way, Easton is nice" and then the buddies I work with were quick to correct him and cited some of the things mentioned in this thread like drugs, crime, gangs. I don't know how true any of this. I am going based on what others tell me. I was shocked when they said this as Easton was always a nice town IMHO. But if the schools are failing (2 people chimed in when my buddy said his SIL was disappointed with schools, they agree they heard same thing), drugs are a problem, there is increasing crime, and possible gangs? Then yea I would guess it could be the new Brockton? But in all fairness I feel as though every person I meet in southeastern MA says drugs and drug related crimes at a huge problem. So I don't think it is just Easton. Probably all the nicer towns in the area being affected.

There is some truth in what you heard mixed in with a lot of BS.

Brockton is a dump, Easton is not. Now, in some ways Easton is very overpriced when you consider what it is and there are some areas (around route 138) that are really nothing special. The schools are "good" but they're not Sharon (which to be fair, few places are). It's true that Stoughton and Easton are more similar than anyone in Easton wants to admit, with Easton having some more higher end housing and a better reputation (whatever that's worth). Neither place is bad, but when you're comparing them to Sharon and Brockton which are polar opposites, Easton falls flatly between the two while Stoughton is perceived as being "lesser" than Easton (which I think is unjustified as someone who spends a lot of time in all these places).

[wror]

Found this while searching the topic:
Gang Members Arrested in Easton Mass
"Maniac Latin Disciples, were arrested in Easton"
By Jeffrey Fish (Patch Staff) - October 7, 2013
The suspect had an ankle bracelet. Due to the suspect’s violent past history including drug and firearms arrests, a regional SWAT team was called in to assist with the apprehension"
Gang Members Arrested in Easton - Easton, MA Patch

[Bruins3445]

Originally Posted by Dm84

There is some truth in what you heard mixed in with a lot of BS.

Brockton is a dump, Easton is not. Now, in some ways Easton is very overpriced when you consider what it is and there are some areas (around route 138) that are really nothing special. The schools are "good" but they're not Sharon (which to be fair, few places are). It's true that Stoughton and Easton are more similar than anyone in Easton wants to admit, with Easton having some more higher end housing and a better reputation (whatever that's worth). Neither place is bad, but when you're comparing them to Sharon and Brockton which are polar opposites, Easton falls flatly between the two while Stoughton is perceived as being "lesser" than Easton (which I think is unjustified as someone who spends a lot of time in all these places).

That's what one of the guys was saying. How Stoughton has a train station, better highway access, closer to Boston, yet it still has a worse reputation than Easton.

Is there any truth to the drug problem in Easton? If so then I feel like we dodged a bullet. There was a nice house we loved but it was $50k over budget. And on well and septic. And 50 years old. So we couldn't justify going over budget for that house just to be in "Easton" but part of me had wondered if it would've been a better long term investment as housing values (I'm told) hold up higher in Easton. But if drugs are bad and schools are just ok then it is nice knowing we didn't fork over more than we wanted all for a perceived value of being in a sought-after town (that some think is on track to become Brockton).

ETA: my buddies at work all said if you're looking to buy in Easton you're better off going to Mansfield or Foxboro. Both have better schools, better highway access (mansfield has a train station too), and less crime/gangs/drugs. I couldn't afford either town so we bought elsewhere in the area. But wanted to share for those who may come across this forum. Again, I cannot validate the suggestions, but multiple people have made this recommendation.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by wror

Found this while searching the topic:
Gang Members Arrested in Easton Mass
"Maniac Latin Disciples, were arrested in Easton"
By Jeffrey Fish (Patch Staff) - October 7, 2013
The suspect had an ankle bracelet. Due to the suspect’s violent past history including drug and firearms arrests, a regional SWAT team was called in to assist with the apprehension"
Gang Members Arrested in Easton - Easton, MA Patch

Notice how no one arrested was from Easton? It's not uncommon for local police to target pass-throughs which, ethics aside, fit certain demographics. Plenty of departments abutting cities play this game - Holden, Shrewsbury, Tewksbury, and Andover to name a few. Sure, drug use within the town likely drives some of the criminal presence, but the reality is this effects few residents beyond those inflamed by local police reports.

I am by no means an Easton fan (I have little love for the 24 corridor), but I can tell you having spent a fair amount of time in the area AND reviewed the data that Easton is not Brockton by any measure - why the axe grinding?

[wror]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Notice how no one arrested was from Easton? ...

Same can be said about Easton,Massachusetts. The 'Dedham resident' arrested for committing a murder in Dedham last month, was formerly from Easton. The Brockton resident' arrested in the brutal murder of a elderly man in a wheelchair in the Natural Born Killers Crime was formerly a life long Easton resident. The Rapper, arrested at the South Shore Plaza for allegedly shoplifting, wrote the infamous 'One in the Chamber' was an Easton Resident.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Notice how no one arrested was from Easton? It's not uncommon for local police to target pass-throughs which, ethics aside, fit certain demographics. Plenty of departments abutting cities play this game - Holden, Shrewsbury, Tewksbury, and Andover to name a few. Sure, drug use within the town likely drives some of the criminal presence, but the reality is this effects few residents beyond those inflamed by local police reports.

I am by no means an Easton fan (I have little love for the 24 corridor), but I can tell you having spent a fair amount of time in the area AND reviewed the data that Easton is not Brockton by any measure - why the axe grinding?

People love to dump on towns. The Easton crime index is fine. The schools are OK. It's not a top 10 rated town but it's not priced like a top 10 town. There are way worse places to live and raise a family.

[mdovell]

A few things.

Crime might not exactly "spill over" when things develop those that can't deal with it move further out. It's what gentrification ultimately does.

There's a number of significant developments that are going to really change things in urban areas across the world

Self driving cars preventing the need of ownership
lowering the importance of cash other more simply goes electronic
due to ^^ that means more purchases can be online. USDA is debating allowing EBT card usage with online merchants. Since everything is cheaper online it's a win for the government, a win for the people on it but a bad thing for the small stores. If they close that opens up more development space. Even if they don't do it there is a push for healthier food and that might push some to close.

Criminals do not are where you live and to be honest if you want to find crime you can probably find it anywhere. I live and work in Springfield Mass and frankly you can avoid crime by doing a few things.

1) Don't do drugs, especially hard drugs.

2) Don't be out say past midnight. Last I checked no one on the Forbes 400 made a business deal at 1:30AM in a back ally

3) Don't join a gang. There's a reason why they don't offer SBLI life insurance!

[wror]

Sounds like Easton crime is spilling out into other towns.


DECEMBER 22,2016 STOUGHTON - An Easton man was recently indicted on a charge of possessing a large amount of fentanyl in Stoughton back in April.
David Pacini, 23, of 11 Peterson Road, Easton, was arraigned...A Stoughton police officer was on a routine patrol in the parking lot of Presidential Courts on Pearl Street in the afternoon on April 26 when he received a complaint about possible drug activity.
Easton man indicted on Stoughton fentanyl charges - News - The Enterprise, Brockton, MA - Brockton, MA

DECEMBER 22,2016 DEDHAM Former Easton man arraigned on murder indictment...the defendant then went and retrieved a hammer ... and struck him several times
http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/2...-fathers-death

[timberline742]

Oh give it up, neither of those situations are "Easton crime"