Daley Park Neighborhood

Park Security

Mar 04, 2000

Daley Park Watch is something we can all do to make a difference. We are all encouraged to rediscover Daley Park. Not only is it a beautiful green open space but neighbors who take the time to walk through the park or have a picnic can make a big difference. Our extra eyes and ears can help keep the park safe and attractive for all of us.

Park Security is a concern we all share. We know laws and ordinances are being violated in Daley Park despite the best efforts of our Police and Parks Maintenance. The list includes urban camping violations, alcohol use without a permit, drug use, public indecency, vandalism to lights and restrooms, and intimidation and verbal assault. In August, Daley Park Neighborhood Association requested an Environmental Security Survey of our park. Dick Steely, City of Tempe Crime Prevention Officer and Dick Mickle, City of Tempe Parks Maintenance Supervisor conducted the survey. The CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) survey concluded the oleander screen wall contributes to criminal activities. The recommended improvements included removing some line of site barriers, improving the existing lighting and providing a police vehicle access road along the oleander wall. These were only recommendations to make the park "abuser unfriendly"; no funding source was identified. Our thanks to Ernie Nickels (former DPNA chair and member of Tempe Neighborhoods Tomorrow Commission) who will lead the Neighborhood Action Group (NAG) on park landscape and lighting issues.

Homeless Taskforce has been formed to brainstorm with the Tempe Community Council and other social service providers, to come up with some potential solutions for the homeless. Homelessness is a downward spiral; the circumstances are as unique as the people involved. It is our hope that the taskforce will benefit both the homeless and our neighborhood park. Our thanks to our neighbor Marge Cawley (a member of the taskforce.) She will lead our Neighborhood Action Group (NAG) on Homeless issues.

Oleanders in the Park were "pruned" last summer to remove the homes and storage for transient inhabitants. The Police have reminded us an increase in the transient population in any one location often increases the theft and burglary rates in the surrounding area. The Tempe Police cited the 1998-1999 calls for service statistics in our area (of the 106 calls, 56 were for "suspicious activity" in Daley Park). Terros, the oldest community behavioral health/substance abuse agency in the valley is now conducting AIDS /HIV intervention and testing in the park after it was identified as a "hotspot" by police and by other drug users in the Terros intervention program. Recent newspaper articles have described concerned parents who are afraid to let their children use the playground. This is a particularly stubborn problem with no easy answers. Although Tempe Police and Parks Maintenance make every effort to monitor the playground and the "suspicious" park activities, more has to be done to make the park less convenient for the illegal activities.