'Conversation' focuses on crime, Valley Mission Park

Crime and lighting at Valley Mission Park arose as two of the biggest topics of an informal community meeting Tuesday night, as the operators of the adjacent Splash-Down Water Park told the Spokane Valley City Council they've had to employ a 24-hour security guard to prevent vandalism and keep people from breaking in.

"It would be very beneficial to really light that park up," Geoff Kellogg told the Council at the meeting.

He's witnessed explicit behavior in the park at night and found needles and drugs just outside the Splash-Down fence, he said.

Valley Mission is great, Kellogg said, but "by night it turns into something much different."

Early in the summer several people vandalized the water park, trashing the concessions areas and spraying graffiti on nearly everything in sight.

The total cost of repairs was about $20,000, and so far six minors have been charged with serious crimes, Kellogg said.

Mischief in the park is nothing new, Police Chief Cal Walker said.

"None of our recommendations have really changed," he said, advising the council that lighting and other design changes would reduce crime.

Officers can't drive to the park's horse arena at night when the gate is locked, and the largely unlit 17-acre park makes for an easy place for people to hide.

The Police Department has trained more officers to patrol on bicycles, and they will be sent to parks as time and staffing allow, Walker said.

The Kelloggs, who have run Splash-Down for two years, hired the security guard after Kellogg had been spending his nights at the park to keep an eye on things after the vandalism.

The city's six-year capital improvement budget includes $750,000 for parks upgrades in 2006. However, city Parks Director Mike Jackson said that there are no plans to add new lighting at Valley Mission Park next year.

The Council plans to finalize the 2006 budget by the end of the year.

The meeting, titled "Conversation with the Community: Parks Pools and Possibilities," was held at the new CenterPlace community center and is one of a series of quarterly meetings where people can talk to the council in an informal setting.

The modest-size crowd also discussed details of the recently completed draft of the 20-year parks plan that will guide park acquisition and improving city pools.

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