RECKLESS YOUNGSTERS PUT ELDERLY AT RISK AT PARK
July 19, 2008 6:16 AM Mesa residents who try to enjoy Shoreline Park are outraged at what they call the indifference shown by Santa Barbara City Hall and the Santa Barbara Police Department toward enforcing ordinances governing use of the park. Twenty-six residents met The Investigator at Shoreline recently to voice their concerns, and they agreed on the main problem: Wheels -- bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, Razor scooters, surreys and Segways -- are a hazard to the elderly and infirm who stroll for their daily exercise in this designated walking park. Yet, despite posted signs banning such sport, skateboarders and bicyclists ride with abandon, frightening the elderly, edging them off paths and sometimes knocking them down, which for a senior citizen can be catastrophic. When parkgoers challenge these scofflaws, they are faced with verbal abuse and physical threats. When they call the police, no one shows up. And when they contact City Hall, they are told (according to Susan MacLaury, who quoted Mayor Marty Blum as having said, "This is not a priority.") Dennis Gaun, a long-time resident of Santa Barbara, told The Investigator that in the last couple of years "policing and enforcement doesn't exist" at Shoreline Park. Josephine Sneddon, a resident for almost 50 years, added, "the park is not properly maintained and is deteriorating." Jon-Louis Blanchar, claimed, "I've been hit twice by bicycles." Brenda Campbell complained about homeless persons defecating in the open; Klaus Thielman said he's been "knocked down by a guy on roller blades." Ilona Miller said she counted 30 violations between 5 and 6 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. And Jim Field blamed the park's general "state of disrepair" for sending the wrong signal to scofflaws. Said Kathie Organ: "There's more trash than before. Everything has been going downhill." And, she added, "Skateboarders almost ran me over." When Patty Fredlund challenged a skaterboarder, she said he snarled at her, "I'm going to hit you over the head with my skateboard if you don't get out of my way." Ms. Fredlund is especially sensitive to skateboards, she said, having had her Achilles tendon hit by one (in Shoreline Park), resulting in physical therapy ever since. "There are not enough signs" in the park, Ms. Fredlund told The Investigator. "And we need police to enforce the laws." Since late 2003, Gerald Shepherd has compiled a 27-page log that itemizes hundreds of park violations. He says he's e-mailed this to Mayor Blum, Police Chief Cam Sanchez, City Administrator Jim Armstrong, Parks Director Nancy Rapp, and Parks Manager Santos Escobar. In a letter to The Investigator, Mr. Shepherd wrote: "I have given up calling the police when I see illegal activity. The response is always the same. I give up after waiting 30 minutes. Once, a drunk threatened me for calling police. The dispatcher told me to remain at the scene until an officer arrived. None did. On the rare occasion an officer has appeared, no citation was issued, only a warning." And Marilyn Quam wrote The Investigator: "My friend Liliane Varconi walks with a walker, and she has been hit. Unfortunately, police are practically nonexistent to enforce the law. Please do something to make Shoreline Park safe for walkers." Here's a key point to ponder: These residents are asking a newspaper columnist for help because the city's elected public officials and appointees have apparently not been listening to them. So The Investigator took this problem directly to Police Chief Sanchez. "I will look into this aggressively," Chief Sanchez told The Investigator. "I am going to speak with Nancy Rapp today and Santos Escobar and Sgt. Dan McGrew tomorrow." He did, and reported back: "With regard to bicycle and skateboard riders in the park, we will get there as quickly as possible, though sometimes our calls for service dictate prioritizations which effect response times. Parks and Recreation assures me that they will be asking park rangers to continue to spend quality time there. More vigilance by park rangers and us will hopefully assist this area very soon. Our beat coordinators look forward to working with the neighborhood. I will ask my staff to increase their presence there, including citing violators when appropriate. I have asked Parks and Recreation to do the same." Parks Manager Santos Escobar confirmed this for The Investigator. "Park rangers will spend more time at Shoreline Park and will cite violators," he said. "We have already added additional signage" that lets park users know that bikes and skateboards and surreys and scooters are not permitted. Ms. Rapp told The Investigator, "We have 57 parks and only two park rangers. Enforcement is a significant challenge so our strategy has been to deal with complaints on a cyclical basis. I spoke with Chief Sanchez and we agreed, it's time to ramp up again at Shoreline -- we will increase the presence of park rangers." The Investigator shall monitor how these new directives translate into action. |