NEWS
UPDATE: Police Team Up with Parks Dept. to Curb Sex at Olin Turville
Dana Brueck
UPDATE: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 --- 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday night the Madison Board of Park Commissioners met with police to learn about the problems at Olin Turville Park.
The discussion formed around what can be done to stop people from having sex there.
A recent survey by Madison Police found 83% of people say they avoid Olin Turville Park.
And only about 10% of the people that go to the park are there for legitimate reasons.
"We were just astounded by the numbers of people involved," says Sergeant Jim Dexheimer.
Earlier this year the Madison Police Department set up a stake out. They wanted to see how Olin Turville Park was being used.
In one week they saw more than 300 vehicles "cruising the loop" in the park--presumably looking for a sexual partner.
Sgt. Dexheimer says, "I went out there one day in March. It was overcast, rainy, 40-degrees and I thought, 'I'm not going to see anything. That hour, from noon until one o'clock that I sat in that undercover vehicle watching the traffic I saw 39 different persons in vehicles who fit our profile."
This was some of the information the Madison Police Department shared with the Board of Park Commissioners Wednesday night during a meeting at Warner Park.
But the activity is just one of the problems. What's left behind in the park is another.
Officer Michele Walker says, "Everything from used condoms, wet tissues, condom wrappers, I've even seen the packaging for male sexual enhancement supplements."
Long time officers say the problems at Olin Turville aren't anything new. But, this time the problem is much larger, involves more people and is proving tough to stop.
"It is a 65-acre conservancy that is difficult to patrol and we are talking about hundreds of individuals working around the clock violating the law, " says Sgt. Dexheimer.
Police also presented a list of ten possible solutions. They included everything from volunteer work parties to controlling access to the area.
But they say none of the possible solutions will work without help from the community.
Sgt. Dexheimer says, "We need to increase the legitimate use and we need to involve the community."
Police don't think any of the ten strategies they proposed are that controversial.
But there was one that didn't make the list that might be...putting a paved bike trail through the area.
They hope the path would encourage more legitimate users to come out to the park.
But that idea--just like the others presented Wednesday night--were only proposals.
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Posted November 17, 2009 -- 5:15 pm
By NBC15's Dana Brueck
More traffic could mean fewer problems at a city park known for sex. Now, a look at the latest effort to curb bedroom activity at Olin Turville Park.
"I was out there with binoculars... and people are looking at me like what are you doing with binoculars!"
Dave Wallner was trying to enjoy a day of bird watching...But instead felt uncomfortable.
"I wasn't here for same purpose they were here for," he says.
"It's really disturbing behavior," Madison Police Capt. Joe Balles says.
He says the behavior is hardly unique to Olin Turville Park. But it's a chronic problem that's keeping legitimate users away from a beautiful space. He says officers have identified hundreds of regular vehicles, cruising the park... and found debris, suggesting regular sexual activity.
"And when when they really studied who was actually in the park, they found that 9 of 10 people that were in the park while we were doing surveillance were really there just for public sexual activity," Balles says.
"It's kind of an intimidation. If one group starts taking over a park or portion of a park, and other people feel like they can't use it, that's not what public parks are for," Wallner says.
One of the measures already undertaken - the removal of some invasive species. With fewer places for people to hide their behaviors, police hope to see fewer problems.
"I think we do need to look at some more drastic approaches to get people back into the area," Officer Michele Walker says.
Walker has been studying what to do. Some of the ideas include holding more organized events...
"Such as full moon winter walks to look for owls... "
Or, allowing leashed dogs... or adding a running trail.
"I really think the true victim in this is the citizens of Madison. They don't feel safe to go to this park," she says.
Police know some of the ideas will generate controversy but say stings have failed to curb the problem for good.
"The line has been crossed for years in this park. Parks are for everybody ... and not one group can take them over and use them for their own personal needs," Wallner says.
Police will make a presentation during Wednesday night's meeting of the parks commission at 6:30 at the Warner Park Rec Center. Members expect to form a subcommittee to study the issue further.
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