Chronic drug sales and public drinking have turned Miller Park into a hub of shadiness – and not the kind provided by trees.
In light of the park’s recurring issues, which recently prompted a sweep from local law officers who arrested a 53-year-old man for marijuana sales, one Parks and Recreation Commissioner says it’s time for the Gilroy Police Department and community members to pull together and clean up Gilroy’s problem areas.
While she has never been physically threatened during her visits to Miller Park – which is located near the intersection of First and Carmel streets, across the street from Brownell Middle School – Commissioner Julie Garcia insists it’s time to get serious about addressing suspicious behavior at Miller Park and other public spaces.
“I’m curious to see what we can do for a healthy, safe, environment,” she remarked.
Garcia first brought the issue to the attention of the Parks and Recreation Commission in January after having several negative experiences in the park. The Commission then decided to reach out to Police Chief Denise Turner “to see what we can do,” explained Garcia.
The GPD, in turn, has insisted that keeping areas such as Miller Park and the expansive Christmas Hill Park – where Garcia says she has also encountered delinquent behavior – at Sixth Street and Miller Avenue is a top priority, and that officers are ramping up patrols.
The GPD is also expected to participate in an upcoming Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on March 19. Gilroy Police Sgt. Pedro Espinoza points out that officers responded to around 20 calls pertaining to suspicious or illegal activity in Miller Park from concerned residents last month. Las Animas Veteran’s Park at the intersection of Wren Avenue and Mantelli Drive tops the list of problem areas with 30 to 50 calls a month, notes Espinoza.
According to Recreation Department Director Maria De Leon, the weather also plays a large part in the surge of negative behavior.
“When the weather is nicer, people are out more and we always ask the police department what they are doing,” she said.
Mayor Don Gage is impressed by the initiative being shown by different City departments in trying to devise a concrete plan that will satisfy the needs of the community.
“It’s great to have them talking to each other,” he declared.
Still, Gilroy resident Michelle Blundo, 47, thinks it will take a lot more than random sweeps to keep public recreation areas safe and inviting for children and their families.
“The Gilroy Police Department needs to patrol more,” she insists. “As soon as the officer leaves, the people in the park just resume what they were doing.”
Blundo lives in the neighborhood near Miller Park and had regularly visited the park with her grandchildren. But these days, the combination of unsightly graffiti and questionable characters who loiter on a daily basis has left Blundo hesitant to visit.
“It’s pretty bad,” she admitted during a rare visit to Miller Park Monday. “It’s hard to be here, because we end up having to leave. It’s not fun for the kids anymore.”
Parks and Recreation Commissioner Garcia had similar experiences. She runs a daycare and frequently took her charges to Miller Park, until the obvious presence of drug use – such as the wafting smell of marijuana smoke – became too much.
Garcia said she was never harmed by the folks who regularly congregate near the benches next to Carmel Street, but found their presence disconcerting enough to stop her from taking daycare kids to the area. Garcia also ceased volunteering to clean up Miller Park on her own time.
Assistant Principal Kristen Shouse of Brownell Middle School sympathizes with Garcia.
“We found some things in there,” she said, referring to a pocket knife and used, dirty needles that Associated Student Body students encountered while performing a civic service cleaning up the park.
Because of this, Brownell students are given clear directions when it comes to crossing through the park.
“They are to go home immediately,” said Shouse, underscoring the sad irony of having to forbid students from playing in an area supposedly designated for children and families. “They are not to linger.”
To make sure this directive is followed, Brownell deploys a team of campus supervisors and administrators along Carmel Street in the afternoons.
“The students need to make it home safely. It’s our job to make sure they get there,” vowed Shouse.
She points out not all parkgoers deserved to be lumped into a negative stereotype. One time, when a student went missing, a group of park regulars was able to provide information to school officials that ultimately helped locate the missing teen.
Still, Miller Park’s proximity to Brownell Middle School is a matter of “great concern,” according to Gilroy Police Sgt. Joseph Deras.
So much so, in fact, that on Feb. 15 the GPD Anti-Crime Team initiated and directed an enforcement operation at Miller Park, where officers arrested Richard St. Cloud for marijuana sales. Police said “numerous violations were observed,” and that several individuals were issued citations for crimes that included the violation of a restraining order and other narcotics/alcohol-related offenses. Detectives witnessed a narcotics transaction in which one offender was selling what was suspected to be narcotics from his vehicle to park patrons.
At least one of the suspects was a convicted felon, according to police.
“The apparent disregard for the proximity of the school and children playing in the park is of great concern,” a press release issued Saturday by the GPD states. “The Gilroy Police Department will continue to focus on this and other problem areas in an effort to offer City services and facilities that our community members may patronize without fear and exposure to this type of element.”
Police say the park violators were advised that “this is not the last of these types of operations and they can expect proactive enforcement of all laws in this area.”
The GPD states it is well “aware of growing concerns regarding the use and sales of narcotics and alcohol-related violations occurring at Miller Park.”
But that doesn’t necessarily console Blundo. She says “people here aren’t afraid of the police.”
About a month ago, Blundo witnessed a police officer being insulted by a parkgoer. To her surprise, the officer confronted the person about the disrespectful comment, but took no further action.
Moving forward, Garcia says progress in this issue can be achieved through joint efforts put forth by community members and law enforcement.
The Parks and Recreation Commission meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 19, in the City Council Chambers at 7351 Rosanna St.
