Empty parks raise concerns for neighborhood groups

On a quiet afternoon in April 1998, a shootout took place between rival gangs in Corbin Park.

During the exchange of more than 30 rounds, an elderly man was shot in the face when a stray bullet entered the window of his house. He survived but required a cornea transplant to restore his vision.

When the gang members were arrested and questioned by police about their choice of Corbin Park for the altercation, their response was, “Because no one was there. No one was using it.”

Marilyn Saunders, Spokane COPS director, said there is concern that this summer’s reductions in park programs will mean fewer people using city parks, reducing the number of people there and increasing the number of kids with nothing productive to do.

“We can help the situation if we give attention to our parks and if we use them. This way they (gang members) don’t have an outside public vacant space to turf-up or shoot it out. The simple solution is to encourage and promote community use,” said Saunders.

Saunders suggested driving around a park on your way to or from work, or bike around a park. People could hold their office meetings at a nearby park or have a picnic lunch there.

In addition to citizens increasing their use of the parks, Sauders said they can participate in a number of groups designed to prevent crime, including the Neighborhood Observation Patrol, Block Watch, McGruff Houses, or volunteer at their neighborhood COPS Shop.

“We’re trying to promote and establish block watches on a 360-degree perimeter around parks and schools,” said Saunders.

This isn’t the first time West Central Community Center director Don Higgins has seen this situation.

Higgins said that a Park Safety Committee was formed in June 1994 after three gang members assaulted a 12-year-old girl in broad daylight at A.M. Cannon Park.

The safety committee was made up of representatives from COPS West, the Police Department, schools and social service agencies.

The goal was to maintain a continual presence of families in the park in order to dissuade gang members from aggressive behavior.

Higgins said the community resource officers and a member of the committee went door-to-door and issued fliers to neighbors in a several block radius around the park. The flier listed numbers to call if neighbors saw an incident of violence or drug activity.

Additional lighting was installed at the park and the number of volunteer Neighborhood Observation Patrol members to patrol the park and neighborhood was increased.

Neighborhood churches and social service agencies sponsored events in the park, and the community center and Parks Department made sure kids had enough organized activities to keep them busy.

“By the middle of that summer the neighborhood had taken back the park. There was strong attendance in park programs, and the additional activities brought more families to the park on evenings and weekends,” said Higgins.

This summer, Spokane COPS, COPS West and the West Central Community Center are circulating fliers with listings of youth and teen programs and recreational opportunities.

The fliers also list law enforcement phone numbers.

“The only real effective deterrent is if people are vigilant and that reporting agencies are responsive. If you let the gangs take over the park, they will take over the park.

“If you maintain a continuous presence and participation of family, organized games and sports in the park, then the gangs will move off to someplace else. That’s in essence what worked in ‘94, and that’s in essence what we’re doing today,” said Higgins.