TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Eric Bergman has seen a lot of change over the last forty years he’s lived near Santa Rita Park, but he says there’s one thing that hasn't changed.
“We’ve always felt that in this neighborhood we needed to keep our eyes on our kids all the time," Bergman said. "There are a lot of homeless people that walk through the neighborhood and live in the park.”
Bergman and his wife occasionally take their grandchildren to play in Santa Rita Park, but most of the time they go somewhere else.
“The park right now is more just a place for homeless people, it seems like it’s their park, more than it is ours,” Bergman said.
It’s a sentiment shared by his neighbors. They feel unsafe walking through the area.
“I drive by it a lot, my wife walks by it with the dog, but no, we don’t go into it anymore,” said Erik Rygg, Santa Rita Park neighbor.
From July 1st to August 11th, Tucson Police reported 24 calls for service at the park. Most calls were related to physical assaults or drug overdoses.
“I’m not frustrated with them, I feel for them," Bergman said. "It's a big problem everywhere now.”
Residents are hopeful the City’s upcoming renovations, such as a new parking lot with lighting, will improve safety. But they're also concerned about what it could mean for the long-standing homeless population.
“I think the first step is talking with the locals of the park and figuring out what would be best for them,” said Makenzie Abney, Santa Rita Park neighbor.
The City says they send Community Officers to the park almost every day to offer services to homeless people. They plan to amplify those services when construction begins, which is expected to happen in about a year.
Click here to take the City's survey on the Santa Rita Park master plan.
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