Memorial Park, HPD Roll Out Urban Park Safety Pilot Program

HOUSTON, TX — Memorial Park Conservancy (MPC) and Houston Police Department (HPD) Central Patrol launched an urban park safety program Monday in Memorial Park. The program is designed to prevent crime and decrease response times to park emergencies. It also introduces HPD off-road monitoring, a 911 trail locator system, security camera access system and a volunteer patrol program to Houston’s largest urban-center park.

After the program’s initial rollout in Memorial Park it is intended to be replicated in other parks throughout Houston.

Memorial Park spans 1,500 acres — larger than the City of West University — and welcomes approximately 4 million Houstonians from 170+ zip codes annually.

“Through this collaborative partnership with HPD we hope to boost Houstonians’ confidence that their time pursuing health, recreation and nature will be as safe as possible at Memorial Park,” said Cara Rudelson, Chief Operating Officer of Memorial Park Conservancy.

The first phase of the pilot safety partnership will introduce HPD off-road monitoring at Memorial Park. Making use of two off-road utility vehicles recently donated to the Central Patrol, these vehicles will be easily identified as police and serve to prevent crime and support public safety operations. The all-terrain vehicles’ ability to travel in areas hard to reach by conventional vehicles will cut response time dramatically. The machines will also act as a force multiplier in the park’s remote and difficult-to-access areas by allowing more frequent patrols.

“We are thrilled to expand HPD’s presence in Memorial Park,” said Captain Guinn Shaver of Central Patrol. “This model program for Houston goes a long way to increasing security at our parks, which should always represent a safe haven for the residents they serve.”

To further improve trail safety, MPC and HPD are implementing a trail marker system that will aid first responders in the event of an emergency. Sign posts with Geographic Information System (GIS) addresses will be placed throughout the park over the next year to ensure park users can appropriately relay their exact location to law enforcement.

MPC has also granted HPD Central Patrol access to Memorial Park’s security camera footage, allowing detectives to access security footage in Memorial Park without unnecessary paperwork and damaging delays in time.

Supplementing the collaborative park safety partnership, MPC is enlisting volunteers to serve as additional eyes and ears as part of the MPC Park Patrol. During daylight hours, volunteers will rove on the running trail or natural surface trails answering questions, helping with emergency and non-emergency situations and reporting issues to MPC staff.

Park Patrol volunteers will go through park-specific training and must be at least 18 years of age. Volunteers must pass a criminal background check and commit at least 5 hours per month to patrol duty.

Those interested in volunteering can visit memorialparkconservancy.org/volunteer or email volunteer@memorialparkconservancy.org.

Photo via City of Houston