ROCKDALE, Texas (KRHD) — The City of Rockdale is introducing a new initiative to curb illicit activities and keep residents safe at parks.
- City of Rockdale Mayor Ward Roddam created the initiative to address concerns about illicit activities at city parks.
- Rockdale Police Department officers will visit each park at least once per shift, walk around the parks, interact with residents, patrol and enforce crimes that occur, and log their visits to later review crime data.
- The initiative is underway, but Mayor Roddam encourages residents to report crimes to the police department.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Swings, slides, and children — it's not too out of the ordinary at Veteran's Park in Rockdale.
Except for the park's increased police presence.
It's a new initiative from Mayor Ward Roddam.
"Based on some feedback from some of our citizens in Rockdale having some concerns about some possible illicit activities going on in and around our parks, I wanted to stop that kind of activity, so my thought process was let's move to proactive policing as opposed to reactive policing, right?" he said.
Officers will stop at each city park at least once per shift —
"Put boots on the ground, so to speak," Roddam said.
Walking the parks, interacting with our neighbors and patrolling and enforcing crimes that happen there.
Then, they'll log their visits.
"So that way, at the end of each month or the beginning of every month rather, I have a sit-down meeting with our police chief and our city manager, and we review crime statistics and things like that," he said.
Parents like Dustin Barker tell me he brings his kids to the park at least once a week, and he's all for it.
"I've heard of some things being found on the ground that are kind of hazardous for the kids a few times and stuff like that," Barker said.
"I think it'd be good for the kids and for the parents to, you know, to have that extra layer of protection."
Mayor Roddam's main goal with the program is safety.
"I have grandchildren that live here in Rockdale as well, and we spend time with our grandchildren here in the parks also," Roddam said.
"My ultimate goal is to have a safe place for our citizens and our kids to interact, play, and have fun in the parks. That's what it's for, right? People should not have to come here and feel unsafe."
