Tuesday, June 30, 2009

News Reel - Dog Park to Reduce Crime?

Here's an interesting one ...

Dog park plan has bark, and bite

Dog park advocates are trying to encourage support for the dog park by suggesting that it will reduce crime. Basically, they are looking for the dog park people to be like CrimeStoppers. Check out the below snippets from the article below:

City police, who have long urged dog owners to keep a lookout for crime on their daily walks, like the idea of more positive presence on the streets.

“It’s an effective tool,’’ said Boston police Superintendent William B. Evans, who heads the department’s bureau of field services. “People with dogs who are out in the neighborhood - that’s more eyes and ears for us.’’

“Certainly one of the most appealing aspects of a dog park’’ is the anticrime component, he said. “It’s going to help clean up the neighborhood, and you might not have a lot of people loitering or late night cruising.’’


It would be interesting to see if the dog park actually did help deter crime. I doubt it somewhat and personally, I wouldn't want to go to a dog park where people are routinely stabbed to death BUT that's just my opinion.

4 comments:

Splash said...

When they put in the dog park at the end of my street the number of people in that park increased substantially, and at all hours. So, yes, I think it at least would decrease vandalism and gang activity in the park.

Now if ONLY they would let me set up my agility jumps in the school playfield during the summer. The police are always asking us to watch the school, I would be very willing to if my dog could come with....!

GoLightly said...

Hmmm. That's a tough call.
I've Stopped using Sunnybrook Park, because of the junk and garbage (and a couple poisonings) and silly people.

But I would for sure feel safer in ANY park as long as I was with my dog(s).

Depends on the 'hood, I guess:(

My sister's Dog park has plummeted in quality, due to an influx of new, gooofy dog owners..
It's all up to the owner of the dog, isn't it?

Most bad guys are afraid of dogs. Except for the bad guys with bad dogs...

Oye.

Thoughts said...

Yeah, that would actually make me a little wary of going to that particular dog park. is it in a bad area or something...?

DogsDeserveFreedom said...

Splash and GoLightly ...

You both took this in a different way than I did. Very cool! I was looking at it as though the crime would continue, but the dog park people would be expected to report it (hence crime reduction), but you suggest crime would go elsewhere ... that is more likely.

Splash - why can't you set up your agility equipment? I know a few people who use school yards after hours (even through the year) ...

GoLightly - that's the way of it, eh? I've been going to a dog park regularly for the last bit and I can't believe what I see from some of the owners ...

Thoughts ...

I would assume it is in a bad area. The article did say that some one had been stabbed there. Unfortunately, I don't know Boston at all so couldn't even begin to formulate a guess