by Michael Montalvo
Daily Lobo
City officials said Roosevelt Park's renovation would reduce crime, but since it reopened in June, residents and police say crime is creeping back.
The park has been a well-known haven for prostitution and drug trafficking, said student Danny Hernandez, president of the University Heights Neighborhood Association.
And people responsible for those crimes are making their way back to Roosevelt Park, Albuquerque Police Capt. Murray Conrad said.
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"Now that the park is reopened, the element that isn't supposed to be there is returning," Conrad said.
The two-year renovation cost $2.8 million. The park, at Coal Avenue and Sycamore Street, was closed about nine months for construction.
When it reopened, city officials said the park's upgraded equipment would attract more families and less criminals.
APD doesn't keep records for crimes that happen at the park, because they are filed according to the nearest cross streets.
There's more crime at the park now than before the renovation, said Becky Cox, who lives across from the park.
"The situation at Roosevelt Park is worse now than it was before it closed," she said. "One person was arrested on my car in front of my house."
It seems like there is more activity now because there were fewer people in the area while the park was closed, Conrad said.
Although crime is returning to the park, there is less crime now than before it closed, he said.
APD has kept a closer eye on the park since it reopened, Conrad said.
"My bicycle officers patrol Roosevelt Park 10 to 12 times a day," he said. "We've had a couple of good arrests with people selling drugs in the park."
After the park closes at 10 p.m., officers patrol the perimeter in squad cars and walk through it, Conrad said.
"Along the eastside of the park, we will occasionally have people park their cars and have sex," he said. "We'll shine a spotlight on the car and see heads pop up and naked people scrambling around."
Police officers meet regularly with neighborhood associations in the area, said John Walsh, spokesman for APD.
"Neighborhood associations are very vital to our community policing efforts," Walsh said.
Residents should do their part to keep the park nice for families, Hernandez said.
"In theory, if the community takes better ownership of the park, then crime will be reduced," he said.
Although APD increased its presence at the park, police can't always be there, Hernandez said.
Liquor stores near the park aggravate the situation, he said.
"They then walk over to the park and get drunk, and while there, they buy other drugs," he said.
The city tries to deter crime by providing equipment for recreational activities such as disc golf courses and playgrounds, said Jay Lee Evans, deputy director of Parks and Recreation.
"One idea is to bring people in to use the facilities," he said. "Hopefully, the undesirable behaviors like drug dealing and using will feel the need to go elsewhere."
Police know about the park's negative history and want to change that trend, Conrad said.
"We're excited about how nice the park turned out," he said. "We're going to keep it that way."
