Feeling of Safety in Parks – Performance Measure 1.23

The City of Tempe finds it important to ensure that community members and visitors feel safe when in Tempe, including parks. This is one of the primary functions of the Police and Community Services departments. The Police Department does this through responding to calls for police service, addressing crime in the city, and working with the community to prevent crime. The Community Services Department focuses on maintaining and improving park infrastructure, in order to facilitate activating parks. The City of Tempe collects data from an annual Community Survey and studies crime trends monthly to improve and maintain the feeling and reality of safety in the City and City parks.

Measure

Achieve responses of "Yes" for property and violent crimes reported to police as measured by the Community Survey greater than the percentage of crimes reported in the National Crime Victimization Survey.

Why this Measure Matters

Crime, fear of crime and the poor conditions of parks have a corrosive effect on individuals and communities. It is important to continue to measure how community members feel about their safety to ensure the Police and Community Services Departments are achieving its their goal of working with the community to deliver effective strategies to activate, maintain and enhance safety in Tempe and city parks.  

Neighborhood Parks (including Urban, Neighborhood and Community parks such as Creamery Park, Optimist Park and Waggoner Park) are classified as being 10 acres or less, are designed to service an area smaller than 2 miles and provide limited to moderate amenities (including playground, grass areas, seating and structural shade, ramadas and sports field).  

City Parks (also known as Regional Parks such as Rio Salado, Tempe Beach and Kiwanis Parks) are greater than 10 acres,  must include on-site parking and restrooms as well as a large number of amenities.  Often they will have areas for large events, aquatic facilities, boat launches, community and neighborhood park facilities, concessions, and splash playgrounds.   

Desert Parks (also known as Natural Areas such as Papago Preserve and Hayden Butte) as vary in size and consist of 70% or more natural open space including wildlife habitats.  These parks tend to not have many amenities.  

Baseline

Neighborhood Parks Day: 74.7% / Night: 43.4% (CY 2017)
City Parks Day: 81% / Night: 51.9% (CY 2017)
Desert Parks Day: 69.4% / Night: 36% (CY 2017)

Target

90% for each park type (Day and Night) by 2029

Strategies

1. Updating code of conduct as applicable.
2. Educate and notify the public of the code of conduct or laws applicable in parks and enforce when appropriate. 
   • Continue with Council approved City Homeless Operations Team plan in requesting two new police officers and one sergeant during next budget process to join existing two parks officers as a PD Parks Safety and Homeless Outreach Squad. 
3. Implement communication strategies as specific steps are deployed.
4. Installing, inspecting, maintaining, and replacing park infrastructure as appropriate by site and use.

See Our City in Action

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