The stabbing death of 25-year-old Matthew Chew the night of Oct. 29 was one of the most unsettling crimes in New London in some time.

Chew was attacked and stabbed as he walked home from 2Wives restaurant, where he worked as a cook. Six local teenagers who have been charged with committing the crime allegedly told police they attacked Chew, whom they didn't know, because they were bored. The arrest warrant remains sealed. The murder, combined with reports of increasing acts of random violence in the city, elicited a widespread response from city officials and private citizens. Members of the city's Public Safety Committee have held several meetings on the issue of violence about youth, a grassroots organization formed by Chew's friends has held several brainstorming sessions and a group of teens has addressed the City Council.

- Karin Crompton