Back Bay robbery suspect arrested

by Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun

In a nice New Year’s resolution to a series of armed robberies around the Back Bay, Boston Police Saturday arrested a suspect who allegedly had tried to hold up Bon Bon, at 197 Massachusetts Ave.
When they got a radio call at 8:30 p.m., police responded to an attempted robbery at Bon Bon, and based on a description of the suspect tracked him down. According to the report, police said the man resembled Preston Jackson, who was wanted in connection with several other armed robberies.
According to police, the officers noticed that while they handcuffed him, the suspect dropped a piece of paper that they said was a handwritten note that read, “Give me the money quietly and no one will be shot.”
Officers took the suspect back to the store, where several store employees positively identified the suspect as the man who had entered the store and handed them the note. The store employees say they told the suspect about their in-store security cameras, upon which the suspect grabbed his note and left.
Officers arrested Preston Jackson, 42, of Boston, and charged him with attempted armed robbery; Jackson reportedly will also be charged for his role in several other armed robberies in December.
“We appreciate the involvement of property managers, security personnel, and retail managers in the Back Bay Security Network working collaboratively with BPD,” said Back Bay Association president Meg Mainzer Cohen.
Area merchants in the Back Bay reported armed robberies, including a Dec. 29 holdup at around 8:30pm at the Brookline Avenue Starbucks that produced a surveillance video. Boston police believe the same robber could be the same one who held up Newbury Street businesses on Dec. 18, Dec. 21, Dec. 23 and Dec. 24.
In a robbery last week at a tanning salon on Huntington Avenue, the Herald reported that a 21-year-old clerk was criticized for not fighting off the robbery, and was later dismissed allegedly for taking time off to recover from the traumatic incident. While the recent spate of robberies did nothing to help businesses already feeling pressure by the economic downturn, it’s no reason to risk injury in order to preserve cash in the till. Police stress that anyone being robbed should comply with any demands, and then dial 911.
The Newbury Street League recommends panic buttons and written guidelines to employees on how to handle themselves in a robbery attempt, advice given by longtime NSL member John Glover of Metropolitan Protective Services.
"Armed robberies in the area … is the kind of thing that comes and goes, and we must always remain prepared and vigilant,” stated Newbury Street League president Joyce Hampers. “Good communication, sharing security tips, etc. is extremely important.”
Hampers also notes an increase in police attention. “The new Commissioner has significantly increased resources to Newbury Street,” she said. “They have finally discovered us!”