A cup of hot coffee flung at the wall of his 7-Eleven store was the price Philip Minias paid for confronting one would-be shoplifter.

Open round-the-clock, the corner store in Boston’s Downtown Crossing is a prime target for a casual thief intent on swiping snacks and beverages.

After the City of Boston Planning Department announced an updated draft of its new zoning amendments Jan. 15, Boston residents and organizations urged for an extended public comment period and voiced concerns.

Amid furor among many downtown residents, Boston officials will delay a zoning proposal that would allow for 500-foot skyscrapers along Washington Street in Downtown Crossing.

The move is the latest twist in a years-long process to rezone the neighborhood at the core of downtown, and one that crystallizes the clashing political and practical realities of Mayor Michelle Wu’s promises to both honor community-led planning and build enough to tackle Boston’s massive housing shortage.

Downtown Boston residents upbraided city officials on Wednesday over a zoning proposal that would allow more high-rises along Washington Street, with many arguing against new towers in that part of the neighborhood and accusing the city of rushing the measure toward approval.

The Boston Police Department is in the midst of a “very deliberate pivot” meant to address growing public safety concerns in specific areas around the city, including the downtown area in and around Boston Common. 

Deputy Superintendent Dan Humphreys laid out the current strategy during a Boston City Council hearing on Tuesday. The goal is to increase the visibility of police officers in certain problem areas and to emphasize community engagement, with an eye towards addressing quality of life issues and making people feel safer in their communities. 

Crime scenes are becoming more common in and around Boston Common, one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.

A spike in crime is causing concern about the safety of Boston's Downtown Crossing.

The latest incident was a stabbing Wednesday morning. The man arrested in that attack faced a judge Thursday.