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Residents and council debate park safety as police point to staffing, new technology
Summary
Multiple public speakers urged action after shootings and other violent incidents in city parks; police described staffing constraints and said 25 officers are graduating from the academy, while councilors discussed cameras and other deterrents.
Residents from several neighborhoods told the Las Cruces City Council on Sept. 15 they want faster action to curb violence in public parks and more youth programming to keep children engaged.
Michael Clark, founder of the nonprofit Crosstown Boxing, said the city has lost young people to gun violence and urged investment in community centers and programs. “Our crime is continuing to grow...Our kids gotta be first,” Clark said, urging council members to attend a Sept. 20 community rally against violence.
Jacob Painter described a Sept. 4 shooting near Salpak-Stole Park in the University Mesa neighborhood. Painter said he and his wife were first on scene and rendered aid; he said a young woman died after the incident. “We are deeply troubled by the increase in crime at our neighborhood park,” Painter said, and asked whether the city would install camera systems like those used in commercial parking lots.
Chief Story, the city’s police chief, responded in a later council report that staffing and patrol coverage were central constraints. “We have 25 graduating from the academy this week, which they'll be in field training for a little bit, but once they're out of field training, that has a potential to change a lot for us,” he said, adding that the department is exploring expansion of the real-time crime center and extending camera infrastructure to smaller parks.
Councilors discussed options including increased patrols, expanding the real-time crime center and targeted camera deterrence for parks with recurring incidents. Several council members thanked police for a recent demonstration of the real-time crime center technology and said they saw value in both technology and staff increases.
Why it matters: Speakers tied park violence to a lack of youth programming and community resources, and residents asked the council for specific actions to make parks safer. The police department characterized solutions as a combination of additional officers and broader deployment of surveillance and detection technology.
What’s next: Chief Story said the department is completing officer academy graduations and pursuing real-time crime center expansion; councilors indicated they would continue to consider cameras and other deterrents for high-incident parks.
