Add Wilson Park to the public spaces in Albuquerque where homeless encampments will not be tolerated.
Around the time the city closed Coronado Park, shutting down the largest unsanctioned tent city in Albuquerque, city leaders and Albuquerque Public Schools were crafting a plan to rid Wilson Park of encampments.
The park, next to Wilson Middle School on San Pedro near Gibson, has had issues for years. Lately, encampments rendered it unusable for area residents. Drug needles and other paraphernalia have been left in the grass.
That should change now that the Albuquerque Police Department will be partnering with APS police to keep it clear of encampments. APS will oversee the park during the day; APD wants to monitor it overnight.
Mayor Tim Keller said the city is working to keep parks with children’s programming clear of encampments and tested the process this year at Wells Park. It required about six weeks of 24/7 security, he said, because without sustained monitoring, campers simply returned.
He said Wilson Park is next on the city’s list. Not only is it next to a school, it is also home to a city swimming pool.
An understaffed APD is part of the reason the city requested the district make an agreement to establish consistent monitoring of the park, APS Chief Operations Officer Gabriella Blakey said. Across APS, there are 48 joint-use parks and facilities, but as far as encampments, there are “none as bad as Wilson Middle (School).”
A long-term strategy to limit encampments remains a work in progress, but it’s good to see a targeted and coordinated approach making a difference where it’s needed most. Public parks should be safe and accessible for student activities and residents who want to walk their dogs, have a picnic or take their children to the playground.
This editorial first appeared in the . It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
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