ANAHEIM
Parks to Be Designated as DrugFree Zones

By DEBRA CANO

In an effort to eliminate drug sales and drug use in public
areas, all of the city's 42 parks have been designated drugfree
zones.
A new ordinance will stiffen penalties for anyone arrested
and convicted of selling drugs at parks, including adjacent to
public parking lots and on sidewalks. Signs designating parks
as drugfree zones will be posted in April.
Police Capt. Marc Hedgpeth said that posting the signs
"puts the criminal element on notice that the city won't tolerate
drugs at the parks." Anaheim "has drawn a line in the sand," he
said. "City parks were intended for family recreation and
members of the community."
When parks are posted as drugfree zones and the
ordinance is in place, Hedgpeth said, anyone convicted of
drugrelated violations will have one year added to his or her
sentence.
Community Services Supt. Steve Swaim said that in 1993
the city worked with school districts and the business
community to designate all public schools as drugfree zones.
"This is Phase 2 to make sure that parks are signed as
drugfree zones as well," Swaim said.
Swaim said that, though drug sales are not a problem in all
city parks, "I don't think any area is immune from this activity."
Hedgpeth said that two city parks in central Anaheim have
had the most incidents of illegal drug activity. At Pearson Park,
38 people were arrested last year on charges of selling drugs.