Malden Residents Sound Off on Safety Issues

Malden, MA - Summer’s nearly here, and with each walk in the park, day at the pool and backyard BBQ comes the risk of snakebites, drowning and fires, but don’t worry! There’s no reason to stay cooped up inside all season.

Patch put together a list of summer safety tips to keep you safe and having fun while the weather’s warm. Make sure to give snakes their distance and always swim with a buddy to stay carefree during the dog days.

Keeping these tips in mind, there are other possible dangers that affect Malden residents year round.

We asked Patch readers what they thought the biggest safety issues were in their town. Here’s a list of the most pressing problems, from break-ins to traffic jams:

• "Motorists who speed in the city, ignore red lights and ignore pedestrian crossings. A concerted effort to enforce the traffic laws would make the city safer and might bring in some revenue from fines."

• "All the drug deals that went on in front of my house constantly for years. Solved it by selling since the mayor's office doesn't think crime is an issue in Malden."

• "As a very diverse city, no two cultures will tolerate each other. The biggest problem is that we have lost the nice suburban community that has served our children a safe place to grow."

• "The guy who stabbed my son. They never found him."

• "There are intersections that could use a left arrow for drivers, but not sure if it's a safety issue. I'll go with drivers who ignore all the rules."

• "The rats that started showing up in my backyard last summer. Been here 20 years, and never saw a single one before. Called the city. Pretty much did nothing."

• "Who keeps planting trees under the street lights which make things darker at night in areas where people walk and others lurk in the shadows?? There are trees covering signs warning people of dangerous turns. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal compared to our other problems but it is on the list!"

• "Potholes and just crappy road on Mt. VERNON (from Salem St. To Mountain Ave.) and the speeders coming around the Starbird Corner up the hill on Mt. Vernon and down the hill. ... "

• "Potholes and dangerous roads that the city will not fix due to funds. But if they are fixed the right way they wouldn't need repairs."

• "All the needles we find on the ground left by the addicts for our kids to find"

Is there a problem that wasn’t mentioned? Share it with us in the comments below or on our Malden Patch Facebook page.