![]() ![]() When you drive down the 1900 block of East Monmouth Street on a hot summer day, it’s essentially a ghost town.Since her time as Leslie Knope, deputy director of the parks and recreation department turned deputy director of the department of interior, Poehler has kept quite busy as a performer, producer, writer and director on several projects. And you’ll see the same scene on the 2000 block of East Orleans Street.īoth blocks are in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, and were recently denied a Playstreets designation by the Philadelphia Police Department after it decided that this would be too unsafe. “The most important concern for the department is the safety of these kids,” said Sgt. Police along with support from the Parks and Recreation Department designate Playstreets based on a number of criteria, including participation from residents and proximity to other Playstreets. In the end, it is the police who decide whether a street gets the designation, after they assess safety concerns, crime, and impact on emergency services. This one-two punch to the community came at the same time as Parks and Rec’s decision to shut down the pool at McVeigh Recreation Center, which was sharing lifeguards with nearby Scanlon pool in order to be able to open at all. ![]() » READ MORE: 6 things you (probably) didn't know about Philadelphia's public poolsĭrive a few short minutes and turn down the 1900 block of East Wishart Street and you’ll find Ashley Bailey, her sister, and their mother standing guard as three of her nieces and nephews splashed around.īailey has to clean up needles and garbage before pumping up a pool for the kids to escape the heat.ĭriving by these parks on a program day, the juxtaposition is stark. ![]() ![]() On the outskirts of the space, a crowd of 25 or more can be seen actively using drugs, their bodies limp from the waist up, a few yards away from a mounted police officer. Walk into the playground, though, and you’ll find an oasis of music, free food, and face painting.Īccording to Parks and Rec’s Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell, the community was “crystal clear” about wanting a police presence at these programs. It could be any other park in the city, and you would never know what was happening outside the fun zone if you didn’t have to walk through it to get there. We’re always listening to the residents about what we can do differently.” When asked about the drug use happening outside of the Playparks, Lovell said, “It’s heart-wrenching, and it’s unique to Kensington.” “We’re constantly going back to the drawing board,” Lovell said. In an effort to keep kids from coming in contact with needles, the Parks and Rec crew has teamed up with CLIP and the Center for Employment Opportunities to do constant needle sweeps at all three locations in Kensington. On top of that, park rangers hand out palm cards that have information explaining what activities are appropriate in the parks. “One of the unintended consequences of something failing is that it contributes to the existing narrative,” said Casey O’Donnell, Impact Service’s CEO. That type of failure is why Kensington fails.’” “When something doesn’t work, most people will say, ‘Oh, that was predictable. It’s no secret that Kensington, a deeply multicultural and community-oriented section of Philadelphia, has a negative reputation. Many believe that the program shutdowns only sustain the preconceived ideas of the neighborhood. “I want people to be very cautious assuming that 12- and 13-year-olds woke up that day as a bad person,” said Bill McKinney, NKCDC’s executive director. He added that Philadelphians need to give these kids the benefit of the doubt, as many of them are being traumatized on a regular basis. In fact, just this year, there have been 134 shootings of children younger than 18 in the city as of Aug. “Trauma and behavioral concerns go hand in hand,” said Dani Enguero, a Youth Peer Navigator at NAMI Philadelphia. “These children have fears and anxieties about the communities they call home and within these communities, mental health is highly stigmatized.”Įnguero stresses there should be more resources for children to have an outlet where they feel heard, seen, and safe. ![]()
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