Crime hasn’t closed other parks

Monday, Dec. 4, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.

City officials cited safety concerns when they closed a local park last week, but statistics on crime and calls for police aid around other city parks and buildings are considerably higher.

Huntridge Circle Park on Maryland Parkway near Charleston Boulevard was closed after an altercation between two homeless men in the park led to a fatal stabbing. The three-acre park has become a haven for many homeless people, in part because local advocates frequently provide free meals there.

City Manager Doug Selby pointed to an escalating pattern of violence, including another stabbing at the park in August, as factors in the city's decision to close the park.

The municipal code grants the city manager authority to close parks in the interest of public safety. City officials believe this is the first time Selby has done so.

Homeless advocates contend that the city targeted the park because of its homeless outreach activities.

Gail Sacco, an advocate who regularly feeds the homeless at city parks, said statistics taken from almost anywhere in the city would show at least a similar amount of crime to the area around Huntridge Circle Park.

"Much of that crime is against the homeless," she added.

City marshals patrol the city's parks and keep statistics for incidents that occur within the parks. City officials were prompt in making Huntridge Circle Park's incident reports available last week, but as of Friday, three days after the Sun requested the reports for other parks, the data had not been provided.

Metro patrols areas in the immediate vicinity of parks, as well as the rest of the city. Though not as thorough an account as that provided by the city incident reports, Metro's record of calls for service nonetheless provide at least an indication of the conditions around the parks.

The area within 500 feet of Huntridge Circle Park had 27 incidents within the last 60 days, according to Metro. During the same period, there were 113 incidents in a comparable area around Fitzgerald Tot Lot on H Street at Monroe Street.

The area around the tot lot, which caters to children, had 14 assault and battery incidents, including five with a gun or other deadly weapon, 29 narcotics incidents and eight fights. Over the same period, Huntridge Circle Park had three assault and battery incidents, one fight and one narcotics incident.

That prompts some to ask this question: If, as the city contends, Circle Park's closing was prompted by the homicide and other serious crimes, why isn't similar action being taken at other parks despite obvious warning signs?

Selby was out of town and unavailable for comment. But David Riggleman, the city's communication director, said there are no plans to close any other parks.

Crime near city property is not limited to the parks.

For example, the area within 500 feet of 400 Stewart Avenue - City Hall - had 50 incidents reported by Metro within the last 60 days, including four assaults and 11 narcotics incidents. That's almost twice as many incidents in those categories as the area around Huntridge Circle Park. And it's a safe bet that City Hall will remain open.

Riggleman acknowledges the city manager did not conduct a detailed statistical analysis before deciding to close the park.

"(Selby) felt it would put more people in danger to sit and study and drag it out," Riggleman said. "We know one person was killed and another stabbed, and that was enough to warrant taking action."

As for the statistics for the areas around other parks, Riggleman said only: "We don't have power over the neighborhoods, only the parks."

Some of that power was stripped recently when a federal judge issued an injunction against a city ordinance that prohibited feeding homeless people in the parks.

Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, questioned the city's motives in closing the park so soon after that decision.

"It astounds me that based on a single, obviously tragic incident, the city would take this action," Peck said. "I can't read minds, but the city has waged a war against the homeless for the past decade and closing this park accomplishes nothing."

Riggleman insists that the closing had nothing to do with the homeless issue, but only safety. He acknowledged, however, that residents have expressed concerns over increased homeless activity in the area.

Similarly, Ward 3 Councilman Gary Reese, whose district includes Circle Park, said the crime concerns pushed him to advocate closing the park.

"I just felt we couldn't continue to allow stuff like that (the homicide) to happen," Reese said.

Reese said he is unsure how long the park might remain closed but added that he has been exploring ways to safely reopen it.

Ward 5 Councilman Lawrence Weekly, whose ward includes the Fitzgerald Tot Lot, said he would not support efforts to close that park or any other parks in his ward.

"There are issues (at some city parks), but a lot of those issues are beyond our control," Weekly said. "We try to use outreach and community events at the parks to counteract that."

Weekly stressed that he was not criticizing the city manager's decision or Reese's stance.

"That's his (Reese's) ward, and he has to do what he thinks is best over there," Weekly said.