😲Allentown park problems: 'It's not safe,' says police union head

[GOYABEAN]

😤 C'mon man you know the thing

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. - Dave Benner, president of the Allentown Fraternal Order of Police, says leftover trash from glass alcohol bottles to plastic pipes at Fountain Park after busy weekends is just the tip of what he describes as a public park safety issue.

"It's not safe; it's becoming not safe for officers to be down here with one or two of them," Benner said.

Benner is concerned about crowd control, especially by an influx of out-of-towners, at places like Fountain, Trout Creek and Canal parks, as well as access for emergency crews. He says this is especially an issue at Canal Park, which only has one narrow way in and out.

"The police could do strong enforcement, but we need to have more guys out here to do it," Benner said over the lack of manpower needed to help control the issue.

A lack of signage of what's not allowed is a problem, too, he says. He said he has pressed the city to address the issues and to close certain parks at busy times.

"The concern that people have is that we might be moving towards something like Beltzville, but this ain't Beltzville," Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said at Canal Park.

Tuerk says parks won't be closed like at certain times at Carbon County's Beltzville State Park, but agrees gating them at night would help and says extra officers are on patrol at popular parks during high times.

"If the City Council is willing to provide more financial support to staffing for parks and for police, then we could do more," Tuerk said.

An October 2023 budget request for an extra park patrol was denied by Allentown City Council.

Benner says the safety clock is ticking. "It's people from out of the area not respecting Allentown, and that's why you have all this mess going on here," he said.

Tuerk said signs are being added to parks, and through a grant by DCNR, Canal Park will be redesigned to help obviate some of the issues.

City Councilmember Candida Affa said she is open to charging out-of-towners to come to Canal Park. That's something Tuerk said he would be open to as well, but it would require extra personnel to police it.

https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehig...24d1c19db.html

[RockIsland]

Scumbag NYC trash, shitting up a local PA park? To hell you say!

[Exbiker]

Scumbag NYC trash, shitting up a local PA park? To hell you say!

They are from NYC, NJ, Philly, and even intercity Allentown. They killed Beltzville, Hickory Run, Penn Pump, and a few parks in Bethlehem too. I heard they are buying dirtbikes and quads and screwing up Rausch Creek and even the trails at Reading Anthracite.

Drunk people with super loud Latin and Rap music.