Council Members, Concerned Parents Say Unlocked Astoria Playground Puts Kids At Risk
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Parents in Astoria, Queens said dangerous behavior at a playground is putting their children at risk.
They say the proof is the mess left behind, that includes everything from liquor bottles to baggies for drugs.
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, even though the city says parks and playgrounds are closed at night, most are never locked, even if they have gates.
Parents in Astoria say that has to change, for their children's sake.
Jenn Schulte and her 2-year-old daughter are regular visitors to Sean's Place in Astoria.
Schulte said when the sun goes down a more adult crowd tends to take over.
"We find all the evidence of it in the morning," she said.
Parents have documented evidence like used condoms, wrappers, and what appears to be drug paraphernalia.
Another corner of the playground is littered with beer and liquor bottles.
Schulte said a homeless man was found sleeping on a mattress dumped in the park.
"One of my friends, her 2-year-old daughter, found a crack pipe, and was running around with it in her mouth, playing with it," Schulte said.
City Council Member Costa Constantinides has proposed a bill that would require every gated playground to be locked by the parks department every night.
'The hours of these parks are posted on almost every playground. it says this park closes at 9 p.m. There's a reason for that," he said.
The department said it works with communities and the NYPD to lock some parks when needed.
"It's a lot harder to scale a fence than it is to walk through a front door. It will deter behavior," he said.
Schulte said it's a simple solution to a disturbing problem.
"This is not just about this being a dirty playground, and we want to clean it up for aesthetic purposes. This is a huge safety issue," She said.
The council members behind the proposed bill hope to introduce it before the start of summer.
