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Suffolk County may be looking to recruit you to help protect its parks.
Legislator Kara Hahn on Tuesday held a press conference to discuss her neighborhood watch-style park protection proposal called the Parks Watch Program.
The legislation comes in response to the well-publicized dumping at Brentwood’s Roberto Clemente Park in 2014, and, more recently, the findings of hazardous debris in Coram’s Tanglewood Park.
Hahn believes creating stronger relationships between the county’s parks department and the people who live near the parks is integral in helping improve park safety.
“This proposal is calling on us to reach out to adjacent neighbors of all of our parks,” said Hahn. “If you see it, we can clean it up.”
The initiative will establish a dedicated website, phone number, and email address to allow residents to report unlawful activity.
Hahn herself had found the “piles of concrete” and “vinyl house siding” in Tanglewood Park in November.
The Legislature’s presiding officer, DuWayne Gregory, said he supported Hahn’s initiative, stating the importance of the local parks to the community.
“We are sending a message that we are concerned about our parks, and we believe that the parks are vulnerable to dumping,” said Gregory.
He added all illicit behaviors must be reported, from suspicious activity to something as small as non-toxic dumping.
If the legislation is passed, the county will move create the proper signage to promote the watch (think Neighnorhood Watch signs) and the “hear something, say something” park protection program.
Top: Legislator Kara Hahn (at podium) talks about her new park watch proposal Tuesday in Hauppauge.
