Park presents a challenge to local law enforcement

By Dennis W. Sowers Of The Press Staff

The combined acreage for Carthage Municipal Park and Golf Course is nearly 200 acres, presenting law enforcement with a management nightmare.

"There are some inherent problems in policy with something as large as that," said Police Chief Dennis Veach.

The park is open to anyone and does not close until midnight. It is difficult to monitor with patrol vehicles, Veach said.

In the last year or more, the park and course have been a playground for mischief. Vandalism, graffiti, broken windows, theft and even an assault have been written on the police blotter. But the crimes are nothing unusual for an open area of park and golf course that size.

"It's nothing new," said Alan Bull, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, which overseas the park and course. "It's a nuisance that you put up with. It's always been there."

"This year has been a pretty active year, but so was 2003," Veach said. "The odds of us being there at that exact moment is difficult."

The Carthage Police Department responded to 14 separate incidents since Sept. 11, 2003 -- including five separate thefts at the golf course, three vandalisms at the park and four incidents relative to the skating rink.

"The police are always willing to go as far as they can when they catch them, but catching them is hard to do," Bull said. "I know they're out here quite a bit. I know they catch them once in awhile. You can't be out here all the time and it's a lot of area."

Vandalism such as graffiti on the bathroom walls is more a nuisance than anything else. Broken windows are another matter.

An estimate to replace broken windows out of the bathrooms by the pool is $1,400. The golf course has had to replace at least six flags and a couple of ball markers.

Ball has asked City Administrator Tom Short to mark vandalism next to the money spent on repairs and replacements.

"That way once the year is gone by we can cost it out on what we had to buy." Bull said. The city started making those incidents last summer.

At the skating rink, a coat was stolen last January and an assault of a 13-year-old female occurred by the skating rink in April. The same day as the assault, a individual was threatened by a man who had a gun tucked in his belt.

"It's not unsafe to go to the skating rink," Veach pointed out. "I don't think that way at all. They do a good job working with the kids in making it a safe and disciplined environment.

"Parents make sure your children are going into the skating rink and staying in. The majority of the problems happen outside with kids wandering around. The skating rink staff is not responsible once they go outside."

Veach also said that his department felt most of the vandalism at the golf course was separate from the skating rink, except possibly a port-a-potty that was tipped over in the vicinity of the rink.

The chief said he discourages people from being in the park after dark. He said it's not well-lit in many areas and he said it doesn't make sense to be in a darkened area.

"We do patrol it," he said. "We're responsive to vandalism. We're there a lot."