Trails seen as way to drive out crime

2001-05-27
By Gregory Potts
Staff Writer

Bicyclists and joggers are cheering the progress toward a citywide trail system. But will trails lead people into crime- ridden areas?

Possibly, but on the other hand, trails frighten criminals away by putting more eyes on the street. That is the view of Dick Coyle, a longtime Oklahoma City trail advocate.

"Where you do have trails and users, you have more people out and about and that helps prevent crime and makes it more safe," Coyle said. "It's kind of like a mobile neighborhood watch program."

And, after all, no neighborhood is exempt from risks.

"I can share everybody's concerns about safety. Safety from vehicles. Safety from muggers," Coyle said. "It can happen anywhere in Oklahoma City."

But numbers suggest that not all areas are equally affected by crime. For instance, Oklahoma City Police Department crime incident data shows that there were two murders and seven rapes -- among a total of 87 violent crimes -- in the areas nearby the planned South Grand Boulevard Trail in the first three months of this year. That trail, scheduled for completion next year, will be the city's second. Meanwhile, there were no rapes or murders in the crime reporting districts around the Lake Hefner Trails -- the city's only existing multiuse trail route.

However, some who already frequent the area of the planned South Grand Boulevard Trail say they encounter no problems. So crimes in the neighboring areas may not translate into problems on the trails themselves. Geography could be a factor: The Hefner Trails are insulated from nearby neighborhoods to the north by a dam and to the east by the Lake Hefner Parkway whereas the South Grand Boulevard Trail passes directly through neighborhoods.

Ruben Zavala said he regularly takes his daughter to ride in Woodson Park. The southside trail will pass through the park at SW 33 and May. Zavala said he had not heard about the trail plan but was pleased to hear the news. His main concern for his daughter's safety is not crime, but traffic.

A California native, Zavala said his home state does a better job than Oklahoma of providing trails and sidewalks for bicyclists and pedestrians.

"When I see someone riding down the street on a bicycle here in Oklahoma City, I say, 'That's stupid,' " Zavala said.

Clarence Warstler, president of the south Oklahoma City Heronville Neighborhood Association, also said he is very excited about the planned trail. He said he already regularly bikes along S Grand Boulevard, but would enjoy it more if he had a trail. Warstler said the trail route passes through neighborhoods of varying degrees of attractiveness and upkeep, but he does not believe safety will be an issue.

"I've never been afraid," Warstler said.

The South Grand Boulevard Trail runs through parts of the city's Wards 4, 6, and 7. Council members from those areas expressed confidence about the South Grand Boulevard and other planned trails.

Ward 6 Councilwoman Ann Simank said she does not expect any problems with the trail and predicts it will be well used. Simank said that she will push for the trail to have good lighting and attentive maintenance -- both factors that she feels will increase use and prevent problems.

"If you leave a place deserted, it tends to draw folks that are up to no good," she said.

Simank also said that if the trail has any "trouble spots," she will request police monitoring.

Councilwoman Willa Johnson expressed optimism for both the South Grand Boulevard Trail and the Katy Trail which is planned for her Ward 7. The Katy Trail will follow the path of the now deserted Katy Railroad line from the Bricktown area to an area near the Oklahoma City Zoo in northeast Oklahoma City.

Johnson said she is concerned that the media exaggerates the perceptions of crime.

"We don't have a great crime problem in that area," Johnson said.

The Oklahoma City Police Department said 36 violent crimes were reported in this year's first quarter in the crime reporting districts near the Katy Trail's future route.

Sgt. Jim Hale, a spokesman for the police department's Santa Fe division, said the department is unlikely to be able to assign any officers specifically to the South Grand Boulevard Trail, but said they will likely do some monitoring. Hale also is optimistic about the project.

"I don't think there's going to be a problem with it," he said. "I really don't."

Maj. Mike Roach, spokesman for the police department's Hefner division, which includes the Lake Hefner Trails, said his division has two bicycles and sometimes sends bike cops to the trail. He said the division will soon be getting six more bikes, but he said these bicycle officers patrol throughout their area and not just at the lake. In all, Roach said the police have very few crime reports from the northwest Oklahoma City lake.

Other issues cause for concern

However, violent crimes are not the only problems that could detract from a trail user's experience. Lt. Keith Jackson of the city police's Vice Unit said that an area called Hobie Point, on the south shore of Lake Hefner is a common site for men seeking sex with other men. The area is near the Lake Hefner Trail. He said the development of the trail system has done little to stop this problem.

"It seems like no matter how much we do out there, the problem still exists," Jackson said.

Jackson said that Trosper Park is another hot spot for these types of solicitations. The South Grand Boulevard Trail runs along the outskirts of the park at SE 29 and Eastern. He said police have worked hard to discourage this behavior at Trosper, but have had little success.

Men cruising for sex may keep others from visiting a park or an increased number of park patrons brought in by a trail could discourage those who are there for other reasons. When it comes to the gay cruising, Jackson said most of the perpetrators are closeted and seeking a secretive spot.

"If you had more families out there, people aren't going to be so inclined to do those kinds of activities in front of people who might call the police or something," he said.

Jackson said he is not optimistic that the South Grand Boulevard Trail will change anything.

"It may discourage some of it," he said. "I don't think it would discourage all of it."

Jo Ann Pearce, executive director of Oklahoma City Beautiful, said beautification and amenities such as trails can help reduce crime, but only if they are used.

"If people don't use them, it won't make a difference," she said.

Pearce said people should make an effort to take city parks back by using them more.

"I think the trails can help do that," she said.

Coyle said trails have a proven track record of reducing crime and increasing property values in other cities.

"People's perceptions will eventually come around," he said. "A lot of people think safety is isolation. Safety is not isolation. The more people that you have out in the neighborhood, the less a person is going to want to come in there and do any rape, robbery, and pillage."

All content copyrighted 2001 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.