Once again, someone broke open the chain-link fence along the Periwinkle Bike Path behind Lowe’s in Albany. (Photo 3/6/2025)
Let’s take a quick little tour of what might qualify as ground zero of Albany vandalism. Not many people go there, which is probably why it often looks the way it did on Thursday afternoon.
Here, take a look:
This path is an extension of Albany’s Periwinkle Creek Bikepath. It runs for about 670 feet between the northeast corner of Kinder Park and Ninth Avenue.
The path is separated by a chain-link fence from the creek channel on one side and, on the other, by a concrete-block wall from Lowe’s home improvement store.
This is where, year after year, vandals hold sway, repeatedly tearing up the wire fence, fouling the creek channel, and defacing the wall with graffiti that run the gamut from unintelligible to vulgar and racist.
As I say in the video, from time to time the city fixes up the fence, and groups of volunteers cover the vandalized sections of the wall with new layers of paint. Then a few weeks go by and the path is a mess once again.
A few years ago, following the principles of “crime prevention by environmental design,” Albany paid for bright lights to illuminate the Dave Clark Riverfront Path after dark. It has not prevented all problems but seems to have helped.
Something similar might be tried along Periwinkle Creek.
Or how about this: Modify the entrances to the Periwinkle Path on Oak Street and Queen and Ninth avenues so that police cruisers can enter. Troublemakers might be deterred if they never know when a police car comes through as part of its routine patrol.
Albany is on track to spend about $41 million on law enforcement in the biennium ending this June. Preventing crime is part of that job all over town, and that ought to include Vandalism Central along Periwinkle Creek. (hh)
Cameras, bright lights and action!
Cameras yes, along with signs you’re on camera, if they can place them where they don’t get vandalized as well.
I have seen police cars there a couple times + a flat bed truck from clean up crews which I think cracked a lot of the concrete.
Didn’t the police have bicycle patrols a few years back? Maybe a foot patrol now & then in the wee hours?
Given the city council’s addiction to sticking its fingers into every citizen’s wallet without approval, I sense a vandal “fee” will be imposed.
Hasso – I’m not familiar with that area, but what’s the purpose of that wall? Does it keep people off Lowe’s property? Just curious if it’s absolutely necessary.
Use Google street view and look from the 9th St. side. They have many pallets of material on their side they don’t want “walking off”.
Thank you.
Don’t count on patrols by the police in these areas. You seldom see one on the streets anywhere.
It was a great plan for biking and walking, but the vandals decided they can hide behind Lowes, and many stopped walking behind there. It will take the community coming together and watching over this area so that folks can use the area for biking and walking. Including the police. From Geary to south to the park is a pleasant walk or ride, but going North, it can be discouraging. Lets hope we can clean it up and watch over it.
That’s not fair to blame the police, Richard. Blame the amount of growth, which does not support the level of service needed. Our police run from call to call and have 200 miles of streets to patrol. I see our patrol vehicles frequently when I am out and about.
Blame these irresponsible brats for causing the damage and tell the county commissioners to expand the jail to hold these people accountable for their behavior.
I am very familiar with this issue and location. I personally put maximum strength zip ties on that fence about 6 months or more ago.
There are a group of people who also defecate on the grass in the park, who seem to feel they have some sort of right to mess up public parks and who find that particular area very attractive.
When you have a chronic trouble spot such as this, you step up enforcement. They may actually have, but not nearly what it needs.
When I moved here nearly 45 years ago, the Police would write a ticket for parking on the wrong side of the street. Now it seems they only pull people over for “fat fine” transgressions that make them look good. They simply ignore smaller stuff because of simple laziness, because it’s too much effort to write a smaller ticket that doesn’t pad their resume. They don’t have to go on a ticket writing spree, but they have to do a better job of making their presence known. We also need the laws changed so we can “punish” people again, instead of just “incarcerate”. A modern version of “chain gangs” would go a long way to changing criminal attitudes. If they find out they are going to HAVE to work anyway, maybe they’ll be inspired to actually get a real job AND have freedom once released from the clutches of the judicial system.
How many PERS employees would be jobless if everybody behaved themselves? The Dems don’t want to put their people out of work and not contributing their union dues to their leftist PACS. Do teachers really want ALL their students to pass? That kills THEIR jobs. Flunk 10% of the students and that’s 20% more teachers hired after you ad the additional administrators. My 8th grade class had 80 students in ONE room with ONE nun.
We used to call it “broken windows” law enforcement.
When visible signs of disorder and misbehavior decayed neighborhoods and cities. When disorder increased fear and withdrawal among citizens.
The rational response was to confront these “minor” problems with serious consequences.
But now we are theoretically more enlightened. It’s more progressive to blame biased policing actions, racism, and an unfair justice system.
The rational response to minor crime like graffiti and fence destroying is now…pfft…what’s the fuss about?
Welcome to the modern world.
One can only hope an attitude adjustment is underway now that sleepy Joe and his ilk are no longer in power. It’s time to stop making excuses for stupid behavior.
First of all thank u for every one’s concern I live here have seen damage here also have respect for our earth people hire them to clean up their own mess they got that kinda energy put it to use patrol more often too take our nice things take care of it
Well their you go again Sharon spending more of our tax payer money. With bigger jails. Why not chop the vandales figures off when they are caught. That will stop the vandalism. And we don’t need more jails.
Well congratulations Hasso.
You have boiled it down to the regulars…
including a former Mayor.
Oh the delights ahead.
We should pass a law where if you get caught vandalizing anything you have to clean up other vandalized property for 6 months
No exceptions.
Lots of complaints here. Do you patrol your neighborhood and pick up trash? Do you pick up your dogs poo or leave it a mess. What about go tell some stranger looking suspiciously at doing vandalism to go away! Many complaints here but where is the doing – or you expected only police to do this and city council to make magic ordinances to have problems go away. Sad.