Taking a closer look at this month’s notable city data
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By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

1,183: That’s the number of veterans living in Somerville according to the most recent census data. However, our Office of Military Affairs and Veterans’ Services estimates that number could be closer to 1,700 veterans when accounting for active duty service members as well as those who do not self-identify. Over the next several months, we will be working to improve our veteran outreach efforts through upcoming initiatives like Operation Vet/ID and SomerVet. And there’s no better time to focus on reaching out to and supporting our veterans than Veterans’ Day, which is right around the corner. This year, we’re working with Somerville schools to give our local vets the opportunity to visit classrooms and share their experiences around what serving means to them. This is part of a larger effort to teach our children the importance of serving, not just through military service, but also through other future careers and volunteering.

16: That’s the heartbreaking number of people in Massachusetts who have lost their lives to domestic violence in 2016. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As we do annually at this time, the City’s Somerville Commission for Women and Somerville-based domestic violence agency RESPOND Inc. held a moving vigil to raise awareness of domestic violence and remember those who have lost their lives. During the vigil, the names of the 16 were read and three of their stories were shared. It was a powerful reminder of the real people behind the statistics and of how widespread the problem of domestic violence is.

Unfortunately, Somerville crime data shows we are not immune. In 2015, the Somerville Police Department responded to 201 domestic violence incidents and as of Sept. 30 of this year they have responded to 127. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the Somerville Police Department’s Family Services Unit investigates domestic violence crimes and has a victim advocate on staff who can help connect victims to resources. Call the Family Services Unit at (617) 625-1600 ext. 7237. RESPOND has a 24-hour hotline that anyone can call for information, resources, and answers to questions about domestic violence. The hotline number is (617) 623-5900.

14: That’s the number of calls received by 311 for wild turkey sightings since September 1. Most callers report the turkey along the busy corridor of the Mystic Avenue area. To maintain safety for drivers and the turkey, keep an eye out for this feathered pedestrian – who often crosses the street without looking for cars – if you’re in the area. For more information on how to coexist with our local wild turkey, visithttp://bit.ly/MassTurkeys .

6.5 million: That’s how many square feet of public sidewalks we have in the city. With that much paved surface, cracks and uneven sidewalk panels caused by weather, tree roots and more are one of the most frequent repair jobs our Department of Public Works crews are continually addressing (alongside those New England potholes). I can see on our public 311 Data Dashboard that in the past 60 days alone (as I write), 84 repair tickets for sidewalks have been closed in the last 60 days. During that time 100 sidewalk repair requests were submitted. It’s a continuous cycle that we do our best to stay on top of, and you can help. If you see a sidewalk in need of repair, especially if you spot a tripping hazard, please call it in to 311 so we can put it in our repair queue.

10,000: That’s the approximate number of attendees who visited Union Square last month for the 2016 Fluff Festival. Join us next year for the biggest celebration yet because we’re celebrating 100 years of Fluff in 2017!

Data-based decision making is at the core of how the City of Somerville develops policy and sets priorities. Every day we check the latest 311 stats, and throughout the week we meet for in-depth review of departmental data and city trends. The monthly Data Download column shares some of the data we’ve been reviewing recently. To see more Somerville Data, visit the online Somerville Data Farm at http://www.somervillema.gov/datafarm/.