A new ranger is coming to town
PASCO, Wash. - It's a day like almost any other day at the park.
"I like to play softball here. I bring the kids up to play football and softball," said Julie O'Donnell, daily park visitor.
However park playgrounds have become more like breeding grounds for crime in Pasco over recent years. Especially, Chiawana Park on Road 88 and Memorial Park on West Shoshone.
Julie continues, "All of the sudden this guy was running across the park from over there and he was shooting at a car coming around here. He was shooting through the park."
Police say they don't have enough resources to stop it despite running a four officer gang unit.
Police were called to Memorial Park 21 times from January through May 2011. The majority involved gang activity or weapons.
Calls increased this year with even more involving gangs or weapons.
And Chiawana Park is even worse with 30 police visits in early 2011 and more than half of them serious. It's already up to 41 so far this year, with the majority being gangs or weapons related.
Police are quick to add these are only the times when officers make contact not when the offenders don't get caught.
Now, there has been a few changes to city code giving park employees a little bit more authority when it comes to handling problems within the parks. Still officials say this isn't enough to keep the community as safe as they'd like.
The city wants to hire a park ranger who can carry a gun and have the same authority as a Pasco policeman. Many applied for the job but none qualified.
Pasco Community Service Director Rick Terway said, "We'll kinda get our point across with a little more of an exclamation point."
Park visitors like Julie O'Donnell like the sound of that.
"You do want the safety of knowing that somebody's there"
Being there should mean a faster response.
The city hopes to have the park ranger in place as soon as possible. Their state wide search is requesting someone with ranger experience.
"I like to play softball here. I bring the kids up to play football and softball," said Julie O'Donnell, daily park visitor.
However park playgrounds have become more like breeding grounds for crime in Pasco over recent years. Especially, Chiawana Park on Road 88 and Memorial Park on West Shoshone.
Julie continues, "All of the sudden this guy was running across the park from over there and he was shooting at a car coming around here. He was shooting through the park."
Police say they don't have enough resources to stop it despite running a four officer gang unit.
Police were called to Memorial Park 21 times from January through May 2011. The majority involved gang activity or weapons.
Calls increased this year with even more involving gangs or weapons.
And Chiawana Park is even worse with 30 police visits in early 2011 and more than half of them serious. It's already up to 41 so far this year, with the majority being gangs or weapons related.
Police are quick to add these are only the times when officers make contact not when the offenders don't get caught.
Now, there has been a few changes to city code giving park employees a little bit more authority when it comes to handling problems within the parks. Still officials say this isn't enough to keep the community as safe as they'd like.
The city wants to hire a park ranger who can carry a gun and have the same authority as a Pasco policeman. Many applied for the job but none qualified.
Pasco Community Service Director Rick Terway said, "We'll kinda get our point across with a little more of an exclamation point."
Park visitors like Julie O'Donnell like the sound of that.
"You do want the safety of knowing that somebody's there"
Being there should mean a faster response.
The city hopes to have the park ranger in place as soon as possible. Their state wide search is requesting someone with ranger experience.
