Fwd: SFGate: Keep San Francisco parks safe by using them

[Alison Collins]

Hi Park Lovers,

I thought you might find this article interesting. Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg says "The most important strategy for making our parks safer, however, is to use them." We've seen this at our own park, Helen Wills Playground (at Broadway and Larkin.) When there were no programs, we saw a huge increase in vandalism and other bad behavior. "Use it or loose it." as they say...

Thanks for using and enjoying the park and making it a great place to be!

Best,
Ali Collins
Friends of Helen Wills Playground

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This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate.
The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/08/27/ED5R1F3H4E.DTL
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Friday, August 27, 2010 (SF Chronicle)
Keep San Francisco parks safe by using them
Phil Ginsburg


  This past week, Golden Gate Park was at its best: full of hikers,
picnickers and museumgoers enjoying time in the sun.
  As I walked through the park after work one day, the importance of our
open space could not have been clearer. Parks offer a welcome respite
where we can socialize, connect with nature and rejuvenate our minds,
bodies and spirits.
  Fortunately, our city has an abundance of parks and other unique spaces
for us to enjoy. These parks, however, are not immune from the challenges
of urban living, as the recent incidents of tree and rose garden
vandalism, dog attacks and stabbings remind us.
  While these few high-profile incidents have caught our attention, we
should also be concerned by the lower-profile incidents of illegal
behavior that occur in our parks.
  Last year, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department spent 3,494
hours and $301,000 abating graffiti in our parks. We repaired vandalized
copper irrigation wires to the tune of more than $100,000, and we hauled
an alarming 3.31 tons a week of illegally dumped trash and garbage from
Golden Gate Park alone.
  To address these issues, we are working with the San Francisco Police
Department and Chief George Gascón, who has made responsible park use a
top priority. We are in constant communication with police, and together
we have stepped up public safety measures. In all of our parks, we
continue to deter illegal activity with presence and, if necessary,
warnings, citations and arrests.
  The most important strategy for making our parks safer, however, is to use
them.
  Three years ago, the soccer fields at Crocker Amazon Park were dilapidated
and used only as a last option by recreational athletes and families
alike. The fields were often empty and provided a setting that was ripe
for criminal activity.
  Today, thanks to a multimillion-dollar renovation project and the
generosity of the City Fields Foundation, Crocker is teeming with
activity. Every day after school, 500 boys and girls swarm the soccer
complex for league games and practices. In the evening, another 500 people
play on the lighted fields well into the night. While Crocker is certainly
not immune to the illegal activities that can be found in parks across the
city, it has become a much healthier and safer destination for all.
  We are cultivating this type of park activation all over the city. Earlier
this summer, we hosted free World Cup viewings with youth soccer clinics
at Civic Center Plaza - a site where some have felt unsafe and where few
visit for recreation. During the monthlong tournament, tens of thousands
of soccer fans of all ages congregated in the plaza to enjoy an exciting,
family-friendly atmosphere.
  Around the Embarcadero, we brought in a zip line and a unique theatrical
production of "Peter Pan" to help activate challenged downtown spaces.
This fall and winter, we are also working on an ice skating rink and a
bocce ball court so that we can continue to make our parks safer by giving
people reason to use them.
  At McLaren Park, the second-largest park in the city, we've seen a steady
increase in park usage over the past several years, thanks to active
community support; lively, family-friendly events at the Jerry Garcia
Amphitheater; and regular volunteer work parties throughout the week. This
summer, we've also launched, on a limited basis, a volunteer mounted park
patrol program in the park.
  Our department manages 225 parks with a total of more than 3,400 acres -
nearly one-tenth of the city's real estate. Most San Franciscans are a
quick walk away from their closest park, and we are working to make that
park as safe and enjoyable as possible.
  Aside from being the general manager of the Recreation and Park
Department, I am an avid park user, like thousands of my fellow San
Francisco residents. I am a runner who jogs through Golden Gate Park at
dawn and a father of two young girls who regularly use our sports fields
and playgrounds. The safety of our parks is an issue that cuts very close
to home.
  We all must work to make our parks safer. Love your parks. Encourage
responsible park behavior. Keep an eye out for your fellow park users and
immediately report suspicious activity. But most important, get out and
play.

Phil Ginsburg is general manager of the SF Recreation and Park Department.
Send him your ideas for activating park spaces near you by -emailing the
Recreation and Park Department at gm....@sfgov.org. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2010 SF Chronicle

--
Alison M. Collins

m:(415) 370-2581
alison.m...@gmail.com