SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif- If you love going to the park but hate vandalism and loitering you may see at them, you're in for good news! The San Luis Obispo Police Department began a new program to keep parks safer. Parent's are excited about the new venture and agree something needs to be done about keeping the city parks safer.
You would expect to see at a park kids playing, people relaxing, but sometimes police say people overstay their welcome. "We do have a lot of issues, sometimes transient issues within the parks, sometimes people congregating and fights occurring or criminal activity," says Lt. Keith Storton from SLO PD. Something parents say they have to stay away from. "Its a little bit scary, if you are here by yourself with just your child, because I have been approached in the past," says Carmie Casella, a grandmother. Lt. Storton says they need to watch parks even for very unusual reasons, he says one time they found glass on a slide.
Now park maintenance officers and police officers are teaming up to take a lot of worry off peoples minds. "Every mom is like if I look away what will happen, just having a police officer I think will add some security and safety to that," says Allison Bottrell, a mother. That's what SLO PD plans to do, have their presence known and be able to create a plan when there is suspicious activity.
"With more presence I think it gives people less of an opportunity to be doing things they shouldn't be doing," says Bottrell. Police say criminal activity hasn't gone up, but there has always been problems. The city's community development department is also talking with people about establishing a neighborhood program, where police officers will be assigned as "neighborhood officers" as well.
http://www.slocity.org/police/parksteams.asp
