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Parks staff and commissioners map out 2026 strategy for park safety and litter reduction
Summary
The board reviewed staff proposals to improve public perceptions of park safety and reduce litter, discussing CPTED design, park ambassadors and volunteers, targeted programming, signage and expanded police/community wellness officer presence; the board will prioritize proposals and return in March/April with a recommended action plan for summer.
Parks staff framed two top priorities for 2026 — improving public perception of park safety and reducing littering — and asked commissioners for high‑level direction on which ideas to pilot for the summer season.
Staff cited survey results showing roughly 55% of respondents felt safe in the parks and presented data on police call logs and common complaint types. Options discussed included physical Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) measures (sight‑line management, targeted lighting), a renewed park ambassador or steward program, pop‑up programming to positively activate underused areas, QR reporting codes for nonemergency issues, and a focused signage/public‑education campaign about littering and keeping parks clean.
Commissioners stressed prioritizing Rockwell Park — the busiest area and locus of many complaints — and suggested formalizing use of community wellness officers and exploring focused camera coverage in high‑traffic areas. Several commissioners emphasized building sustained "friends of the parks" volunteer groups to support long‑term stewardship and weekly cleanups rather than one‑off events.
Staff will assemble the ideas and present a prioritized, costed plan at the March meeting and a final recommended approach in April with the goal of piloting select measures for summer 2026. The board emphasized a mix of short‑term, low‑cost fixes (signage, programming, patrol coordination) and long‑term investments (ambassador program, cameras) tied to a clear budget request.
