Amid recent attacks and crimes, residents in New Castle County, Delaware, have been saying they don't feel safe in local parks. Several politicians are now pushing for a safety plan.
On July 5, Tom Baker was randomly attacked and robbed by three teens wearing ski masks while visiting Glasgow Park in Newark. They punched and kicked Baker repeatedly, he said.
He told NBC10 that he had to wait over an hour for police to arrive.
The three teens were later arrested and identified by police as 18-year-old Gregory Brown of Newark and two 15-year-olds. They were each charged with robbery and conspiracy among other charges.
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"The two things I wanted to see were I wanted more security at the park and I wanted the guys to get caught," Baker said.
Following this attack and several other crimes in the county's 250 parks, more local officers started being more visible.
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New Castle County Councilmember David Tackett called for a resolution to force the county to figure out a tangible park safety plan to cut down on crimes.
"Why is this happening? Why are we not hearing about it in municipalities and state parks? Why are our parks so vulnerable? That's what we need to isolate and bring to the table," Tackett said.
All of the parks are different sizes with varying needs. There are a lot of ideas on the table, including gates on the driveways that lock at night or more surveillance cameras.
New Castle County officials told NBC10 that a good plan is in place and a resolution isn't needed.
The county's police chief said that it's getting increasingly difficult to recruit new officers, but his team is working to keep all parks safe.
As for Baker, he told NBC10 he's glad that sharing his story is leading to change.
"It looks like people are taking more interest in this and that they're going to be making changes," he said. "But time will tell."
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