The Albany Police Department’s observation trailer stands watch at Monteith Riverpark on Oct. 30, 2024.
Quite a bit of damage has been done at Albany’s Monteith Riverpark since it was reopened in July after more than a year of reconstruction. The city has deployed its camera trailer at the park to try to prevent any more.
Riding my bike through the park on the Dave Clark Trail, I first noticed the trailer with its cameras atop a tall mast a few days ago. The equipment allows the police to spot trouble and has previously been used at big events such as the summertime street parties downtown.
“We are having a good deal of vandalism — likely just one or two people,” said Rick Barnett, Albany’s parks and facilities maintenance manager. “For the long term we are putting permanent cameras in. Short term we are using the police surveillance trailer as a deterrent.”
Barnett ticked off the damage starting with several steel-mesh panels that were kicked out on the Willamette River viewing piers.
In addition, the playground surface was cut, and wooden boards on the playground itself were broken twice. Also, “someone kicked the top off two benches.”
Then, someone pulled down and damaged two of the five lights over the artwork on the donation wall of the restroom. “We suspected this might happen with the design, so we are looking at a design that gets the fixtures in a safer location,” Barnett wrote in an email.
The artwork on the wall itself was damaged and when someone scraped off pieces. And there’s been graffiti on the base of one of the towers that carry high-tension power lines across the park and the Willamette River.
“We are very frustrated that one or a few individuals is taking out their aggression on this very nice park,” Barnett said.
Rebuilding the Monteith Riverpark, including a new stage for summer concerts and the playground that proved a big hit with families over the summer, was the key element of the Central Albany Revitalization Area’s $21.5 million Waterfront Project. The project continues with rebuilding part of Water Avenue as a “plaza street” suitable for events.
As for the observation trailer, police department spokeswoman Laura Hawkins said it seems to have worked as “of course the vandalism has now ceased. We will leave it there for a bit longer, unsure how long at this point.”
If you want the background on how and why the City of Albany obtained the equipment, check out this story from September last year. (hh)
Two of the lighting fixtures over the park donation wall have been pulled down.
This damage is very, very upsetting. I’m glad there will be cameras.
ok- lets say, just for conversation, they catch 2 or 3 teens doing this. spray painting names on stuff, etc. just what will the courts do to under age first offenders? my guess? not a damn thing. the same question if they catch 2 or 3 adults doing this, all 1st time offenders. just what can we expect would happen to them even if they were caught? do we really expect these sort of folks are going to get a job so they can pay restitution? that thought has me rollin’ on the floor laughin’ lets hear something from the corrections dept. whats the percentage of these type of offenders actually paying the restitution, in full? please dont mention work crew, i’ll end up rollin on the floor laughin’ again.
These cameras will be a deterrent until they are moved, much in the same manner as the radar speed signs on 1st and 2nd and the radar speed trailer.
I am in favor of cameras. Local businesses have been investing in camera trailers to help prevent crime. I think this is a solid investment to help protect city parks. I believe the individuals should be held fully accountable, if they are caught which I hope they are.