Friday, August 3, 2012
Parkside Playground Update
Word reaches the Q that the 71st Precinct is partnering with the Parks Department to patrol and to nightly lock the Parkside Playground to ensure the safety of the much-needed gathering space for young people and children. This is undeniably an excellent and commonsensical response to the rocky start for the park. We're sending the right messages to the authorities, and I'm glad they're listening. To everyone who picked up a phone and called to demand attention to the need for police presence and vigilance, the Q applauds you.
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5 comments:
My husband met with Senator Adams last Thursday to discuss safety in PLG- particularly cameras for certain intersections and park on Winthrop street. He sated that he is working hard and will continue pressing our case in Albany to get cameras.
We live next to the park and the police have not followed through with locking the park. We have complained everyday but to no avail. There is a serious problem with the park at night and in the early morning hours. There are unsupervised kids in the park who throw trash in our yard, make noise and have even defecated by a tree that is in front of the fence of our backyard.
Very frustrating. I'll look into it...thanks for the info. So few people, officials included, seem to get it. This place could be heaven or hell, depending on how it's maintained and policed.
"So few people, officials included, seem to get it."
Yes, especially the officials and the police. Many are blatantly dismissive to the concerns being voiced by the community in regard to this playground.
The other day I met two local moms who voluntarily police the playground so that their children, and ours, can safely enjoy it. Some of you may have noticed that there's oftentimes a woman who stands at the entrance and makes sure that only people with children enter in an effort to curb the illicit dealings happening there. Its unacceptable that we, the community members, are left to fend for ourselves like this.
I think I'm going to send Eugene a letter thanking him for creating a safe haven for drug deals, drinking in public and late-night loitering (among other things).
I left the message earlier about the no police presence in the park included lock up. When we call 311 to complain they say it isn't the police's job to lock the park it's the Parks Department. When we call the Parks Department they say it they have an agreement with police to lock the park. 311 closes our complaints based on the fact that they say it is a Parks Department issue.The Brooklyn Paper showed up awhile back to take pictures of the police locking the park. They were in contact with the police who told them an officer was supposed to show up to lock the park. No police officer showed up and interestingly enough the police had requested that the paper not publicize the event before it happened (maybe they knew they weren't going to show up).
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