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Showdown at the Playground: A Community Confronts Drug and Disorder Problems in a Neighborhood Park (From Solving Crime and Disorder Problems: Current Issues, Police Strategies, and Organizational Tactics, P 113-126, 2001, Melissa Reuland, Corina Sole' Brito, and Lisa Carroll, eds. -- See NCJ-225227)

NCJ Number
225234
Author(s)
Valerie Spicer; Jean Prince
Date Published
2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This chapter highlights initiatives taken by the Grandview-Woodland Community Policing Center (GWCPC)(Canada) to address the problems of drug dealing and disruptive youth in a public park.
Abstract
Grandview Park is located at the center of Grandview-Woodland community in Vancouver, British Columbia. The GWCPC identified park problems through a variety of methods, such as studying citizen complaints and reports, observing conditions at the park, and surveying the community. To respond properly to the array of problems in the park, police analyzed the social dynamics and problem population movement within Vancouver, the park structure and its effect on criminal behavior, and the police response to park problems. In response to the problem, a broad coalition including law enforcement, social services, businesses, community member, and the media came together to create “Showdown at the Playground.” Key elements of the project included: new law enforcement responses, improving the environment, involving the community, and coordinating services and agencies. The positive results from the “Showdown at the Playground” are multifaceted. Most important is the heightened sense of community ownership of the park. At each phase of the project, local residents responded to GWCPC requests to help save the park. The responses produced the desired results and GWCPC continues efforts to improve Grandview Park. This chapter reports on how environmental changes to the park, as well as the strong relationship between the community and its police, worked together to improve the situation. Tables and appendixes