Park Board Meeting Report

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Colman Park Walking Trail behind right field.
Tennis Courts and Shelter Houses ahead.

Last Monday evening 26 people gathered for a virtual ZOOM meeting of the
Raytown Park Board. As meetings go, it was a long one. Eight speakers addressed the Park Board about problems at Colman Park. Central to the discussion were recent incidents of two separate days in which gunshots were fired indiscriminately into the air at Colman Park. 

The first speaker, (who asked not to be identified in this story), spoke of the horror of having bullets flying through her house just 15 feet from where she was sleeping a year ago last July. The high caliber bullets that struck her home pierced two walls and came close to exiting the other end of her home. Hers was one of three houses plus the Parks Department maintenance garage and greenhouse struck by gunfire that night. 

A teenage girl was killed in the exchange of gunfire that took place.

As a result of that terrible event the Board of Aldermen appointed an ad-hoc
committee to look into suggestions to make city parks safer. The Committee recommended, and the Park Board implemented, the use of a Private Security Service to patrol all city parks during summer time hours to enforce curfew violations. 

Park Director Dave Turner credits the work of the Private Security Service with effectively lowering the number of curfew violations in city parks.

COLMAN PART AS SEEN FROM 59TH STREET

SHOTS FIRED INTO THE AIR . . . have become a problem at Colman Park in particular. According to statistics from the Raytown Park Department, Colman Park has the largest number of out of town users visiting Raytown Parks. The Park also has the highest number of park rule violations / city code offenses of all Raytown parks.

Neighbors living around the park frequently report of suspected drug dealing, bad behavior, illicit sex and gun shots at the park. Nearly all of those infractions happen at night. It is important to note the problem is not only at Colman Park – but at other Raytown parks as well.

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT . . .  After hearing discussion from the guest speakers the Park Board directed Dave Turner to explore and implement a program to increase lighting at city parks. Discretion was left up to Mr. Turner to determine the best placement and wattage of the new lights.

Police Chief Robert Kuehl told the Raytown Report well placed lighting in parks, known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), has proven to be effective in eliminating criminal activity in city parks. The additional lighting is expected to enhance the ability of cameras situated in parks to pick up information on vehicular traffic and deterring curfew violations.

Ward 1 Alderman Greg Walters said, “I am glad to see the Park Board is taking a proactive approach. I am hopeful the improved lighting will help abate the problem.”

“If this does not work,” continued Walters, “then we should look at a dusk to dawn operating schedule and possibly gating problem parks during winter operations to enforce park curfews.” Walters pointed out the curfew patrols are a warm weather activity. The cold weather will lower the number of visitors at city parks. But if curfew violations increase, we should take another look at other options.

OTHER PEOPLE SAID . . . 

Khadijah Hardaway is the Social Action Chair for Commission on Social Justice Grant Chapel AME. She told the Park Board they should look into a permanent law enforcement presence at Colman Park.

Hardaway said, “It may cost the city $55,000 to hire a policeman or park ranger to patrol the park during operating hours. The City should consider the cost of a criminal investigation into a homicide.”

Through her work on the Commission to Social Justice Hardaway has first-hand knowledge of how much a criminal investigation into a homicide costs. “It is not unusual for the price tag of criminal investigation into a homicide to go into the millions of dollars.”

JIM DeLONG, a lifetime resident of Raytown, told Park Board members they should insist the Raytown Police Department begin handing out citations to those who break Park Rules and other city laws at parks. “We are well past the education and warning phase at Colman Park,” said DeLong.

JIM DAUGHERTY, echoed DeLong’s sentiment. He told the Park Board there was a need to more stringently enforce city codes at the park. Daugherty asked, “Has there been any actions taken, particularly once something is reported? Are police missing an opportunity to address issues while at the park vs. just patrolling? One of the problems at our city parks is what appears to be a reluctance to enforce park and city rules.”

TONY JACOB said, “I wonder if the lack of cooperation between the Park Board and the Police Department will improve under the new Chief of Police. Past Police Chiefs have been reluctant to patrol parks and make use of park cameras and timely response to citizen complaints. I am hoping for better days.”

A neighbor of the park who asked not to be identified said, “I have seen so many bad things happen at the park recently that it saddens me. We have excellent neighbors and good people living in Raytown. We need to take steps to guarantee our parks are safe for our community.”

OUR VIEW . . . 

BY GREG WALTERS

The number of people attending the meeting was impressive. ZOOM meetings are a poor replacement for face to face discussions. We have already heard from individuals who wanted to attend the meeting but did not have the computer hardware or software to do so. City Hall was vacant the night the Park Board met. The Park Board could have moved its meeting to City Hall to better serve the public. The Council Chambers has plenty of room for 26 people to meet with proper social distancing.

An interesting discussion was entered into by Police Chief Robert Kuehl. He spoke of random shots fired into the air. He pointed out that statistically speaking, such shots rarely hit people. We did a quick Google search on the topic. Based on how many shots are fired, he has a valid point.

But still, those bullets come back down . . . sometimes with terrible results.

In our view, one death is too many. Raytowners may be especially sensitive to this issue. It was just nine years ago that a student of Our Lady of Lourdes Grade School lost her life because of a random shot fired into the air. She was at a Fourth of July Celebration, waiting in line to get a sparkler lit when the bullet found its mark.   USE THIS LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION

Neighbors of the park were exceptionally upset because the Raytown Police did not clear the park after the shots were fired. By not clearing the park, it makes the situation seem like a “new normal”. The police were fairly prompt in replying to the call. Four cars are reported to have been at the scene. But they only stayed for about ten minutes. They had the manpower and time to ask park users to leave. This was a serious crime scene. A fight had gotten out of control. Gunshots were fired. This is Raytown. We expect better enforcement.

Two Park Board members stepped up by insisting and asking for better safety precautions at city parks. Those two members are Jennifer Perkins and Brent Hugh. Both asked many pertinent questions as how to best address law breakers in Raytown Parks. They were definitely reaching out for solutions. Good job!

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