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Council debates park safety; staff to upgrade cameras and review event screening
Summary
Following a safety incident at a city park, Hammond council members discussed pausing park activities, upgrading cameras and routing camera feeds to police dispatch; staff said some cameras are older and upgrades are planned before summer.
Council members raised safety concerns about Hammond parks at the March 25 meeting, discussing recent incidents, the condition and monitoring of park cameras, and whether to pause pavilion reservations until security measures are improved.
A councilmember said park rangers and constituents had flagged safety problems and requested stronger screening and security for permitted events. The council discussed suspending some park activity permits while staff evaluated patrol plans and camera upgrades.
City staff said the administration is seeking quotes for new cameras in at least one park and expects police patrols in parks to increase in April for the spring and summer season. Staff also confirmed that some existing cameras are older models and that IT and police dispatch are working to bring more camera feeds into the police dispatch room for monitoring. Jackson Park and Mooney Avenue cameras were described as currently active; staff said some cameras were recently damaged and realigned based on captured video.
Staff and council members said improved camera placement, better lighting and rumble-strip or other traffic treatments could help at specific problem crossings. The council also noted the high cost of playground equipment and discussed pursuing restitution when vandalism is documented on camera; in one cited case the city pursued prosecution and possible restitution after a conviction in a park-arson case.
Council members asked staff to provide a plan for camera upgrades, the parks monitoring schedule and clarification of whether pavilion and event permits should be paused until security measures are in place.
