Looking south along the Periwinkle Bikepath near Kinderpark on July 7, 2025. Notice how clean the trail is.
On bike rides along Albany’s main off-street paths over the first few weeks this summer, I noticed something that wasn’t there.
What’s missing were the unsightly traces that homeless camps usually leave behind. I saw no semi-permanent encampments either.
On the concrete pavement, faint traces of graffiti might have been visible here and there, but I didn’t see any fresh ones. (The wall behind Lowe’s is a different story. More about that some other time.)
Something must have been going on that I had not heard anything about. Had the community service officers of the Albany police been stepping up their efforts?
That’s kind of what it looked like, and I put the question to Laura Hawkins, who works on public engagement for the police department.
“Thanks for noticing,” she replied via email this morning. “We have been focusing on a lot of extra foot patrols from our CSO unit, park ranger with the help of Parks and Rec as well. We also have added our victim assistant walking the parks on a regular basis offering resources and services to the unhoused.”
From what I saw on the Dave Clark Riverfront Path and especially the Periwinkle Bikepath, the effort was paying off. The paths were cleaner, and if some people got help, so much the better.
All I can say is: Good work, and thanks! (hh)
Looks great, kudos to all involved. Thanks.
They have to keep the Dave Clark Path cleaned up to accommodate all the “thousands” of people who are going to stroll near there on the “yellow brick road” that used to be plain, old Water Street!!! Good bye plain ol’ Water Street. You are now lined with taxpayer’s gold (our tax dollars).
I whine, therefore I am.
What’s the CSO unit?
The unit of community service officers.
The gal Hasso quoted who used the initials, CSO, was no doubt young. Young people cannot be bothered to communicate other than texting where they use many emojis and initials for most everything else. I hate it. About all they can write, I’m sure, is their own name, and that is scrawled so that you can barely read it, I’m sure.
Laura Hawkins has been serving the community for a long time. Maybe find something productive and positive to contribute to your community next time you leave a comment
ffr so fun. bet they r gr8 @ parties ;)
That’s good to hear. I’m glad they are taking pride in cleaning the bike paths and they should do the one over by the Amtrak station too.
Fantastic. Thank you for this positive story Hasso!
I have noticed the Periwinkle path has far less trash than normal. Of the three resources mentioned(the CSO, park ranger and victim assistant), which is appropriate to call for the belligerent public drug use encountered regularly on the Periwinkle path?