BOTTLE TOKES AND DRUG BAGS

Residents Find It All In Radio Park

OSHAWA - A local senior is fighting hard to give Radio Park back to
area residents.

Florence Francis says groups of teenagers have been using the park as
a party spot for months. They bring blankets and sleeping bags, and at
one point, even dragged a couch to the park.

"The kids are destroying it for people who walk through here," Ms.
Francis said in a recent interview.

Fed up with seeing the food, cough medicine and pill bottles, glass,
and drug paraphernalia left behind in the morning, Ms. Francis, her
daughter Janet Jones and four-year-old granddaughter Bri-Ann recently
picked up enough garbage at the park to fill two bags.

"I will keep it up if I have to. This park is to enjoy, not to
destroy," she said.

Ms. Francis, who has lived in one of the nearby apartments for almost
a decade, said the partying keeps area residents up at night. She
reported one late night party to the police recently after being
awakened by what she thought were gunshots.

Both she and Ms. Jones worry about children cutting their feet on
glass. There's no longer any playground at the park because of the
drug activity that takes place there at night, Ms. Jones said.

Her son once found a small vial of cocaine and some used condoms while
playing there, she added.

Durham Regional Police have known about the drugs and public mischief
in Radio Park since early spring, said Inspector Dave Kimmerly.

It has been one of a number of parks and greenspaces the department
has tried to target over the summer by dedicating a group of plain
clothes officers to patrol such areas, he said.

A number of narcotics arrests have been made in Radio Park, which is
especially attractive to teens because it sits between a residential
area and the Oshawa Centre, Insp. Kimmerly explained.

"But that's not to say we're able to get there every night," he added.

The first two weeks of September, the unit was redeployed around high
schools to coincide with the start of the school year, he said. Those
officers are now back patrolling areas like Radio Park, he said.

"We have lots of parks in the City of Oshawa and lots of greenspace
and bike paths through conservation areas that we get calls about, "
Insp. Kimmerly said.

Along with the dedicated group of officers, the Air One helicopter has
also tried to help monitor activity in ravine and natural areas, he
said. But in some cases, residents have complained about the noise of
the helicopter at night.

Anyone with concerns about Radio Park should call Insp. Kimmerly at
905-579-1520, ext. 1785 or Sergeant Bert Weigel at 905-579-1520, ext.
1747.