SACKETT STREET PARK

PARK PERCEPTIONS - Understanding the Interview Results

The majority (9 out of 11) of the respondents at Sackett St. Park
were African American. Judging from the interviews, the waterpark is
by far the most popular facility. It was cited numerous times as the
most-liked park feature, and notably, waterpark overcrowding was cited
as one of the least-liked park features. More commonly, trash was cited
by almost 50% - 5 out of 11 - of the interviewees as the most unsatisfactory aspect of the park.

All of the respondents asserted that they felt safe in the park; none attached any conditions to this safety, or made mention of feeling unsafe. They also all said that they would visit the park on their own. In contrast to these high percentages, only 45% stated that they would use the park at night.

All but one of the interviewees declared that they were not aware of the occurrence of criminal activities in the park. One woman stated that she knew of some people that didn't like to visit the park because they were suspicious of, and intimidated by, the groups of teenagers that sometimes hang out there. Yet she herself felt that such things were not to be concerned with. The woman who believed that illegal activities might happen in the park, cited behavior such as drinking and fights.

A very significant feature regarding people's perceptions of Sackett St. Park, was the ambivalent feelings toward whether or not the park was better than in the past. Although 55% felt that it had improved, many of these people did not feel strongly about this improvement, and 45% seemed to believe that the park was stagnant - it had neither improved nor worsened.

Park Crime - Understanding the Context of Crime