Park Profile
Neighborhood: West End
Location: Cranston Street, between Dexter Street and Parade Street,
and adjacent to the Cranston Street Armory
Size: 9.84 acres
Facilities: Playground
Baseball Field

Park Context - Dexter Training Ground in the West End

Dexter Training Ground is also located in the alternate neighborhood of 'West Broadway', which spans the southern section of Federal Hill and the northern section of West End.

Look at the Providence Plan's West End Neighborhood Profile: http://www.provplan.org/nprof/westend.html

Park Overview - Facts and Issues
Dexter Training Ground is located adjacent to the Cranston St. Armory. It was designed as a military training ground and parade area, and is now a heavily used park in the midst of a residential area. Dexter is one of the larger neighborhood parks in the city, and has an expanse of green space in addition to its baseball and playground facilities. The fenced-in baseball field was traditionally used by the Federal Hill Little League, who have recently returned to it after several years using other fields. About two years ago, the West Broadway Neighborhood Association (WBNA) received a $75,000 grant to renovate the playground. They purchased new play equipment, benches, and picnic tables, and the Parks Department installed the equipment with the help of community volunteers. The playground has since dramatically increased in popularity, and is in constant use, sometimes to the point of being overcrowded.

According to WBNA, the park used to have significant problems regarding drug dealing, drinking, and prostitution. These issues have supposedly dwindled over the past few years, due to the frequent and enthusiastic use of the space by neighborhood residents. Much of this use has come from the population of dog owners in the area, who have found the park an ideal place to walk and play with their dogs. Their presence in the park at all times of the day has been cited as a deterrent to criminal activity - they have become informal 'eyes on the park'. However, intense conflicts have arisen between the dog owners and other users of the park. Some of these non-dog owners dislike the constant presence of the dogs, as well as the mess they make, and cite a city ordinance that decrees that dogs are not allowed in city parks. However, somewhat of a compromise has been reached. Dog owners have begun using the fenced-in baseball diamond as a dog-run, and this partition effect has defused the animosity of the dispute. WBNA is geared to putting up signs and doggie-bag dispensers around the park to discourage dog refuse.

Because Dexter Training Ground is heavily used, litter has become a considerable issue. There are numerous complaints about the amount of refuse strewn around the park, and because the trash cans are not emptied out frequently enough, they tend to overflow. WBNA have expressed their belief that the more trash that is lying around, the more complacent people become complacent about their own littering, to the detriment of the park's condition.

As previously stated, crime in the park has declined over the years. Another major factor in this improvement were the community police, who had a positive influence on the park in many ways. The two community officers assigned to the neighborhood regularly patrolled the park by bicycle, and were involved in park activities, including organizing touch football games. Unfortunately, the Providence Police Department has disbanded the community police force, and according to WBNA, this has been associated with a significant and visible worsening of the crime and nuisance situation in the park.

Park Perceptions - Results from Interviews
Understanding the Interview Results
Park Crime - Understanding the Context of Crime