Photo by Doni Chamberlain
One Saturday last month my wife and I took my 2-year-old son down to the Grasshoppers baseball, a toddler baseball program that runs for a month. It was located down by the city hall and library. It was a beautiful day outside, a little hot, but still a nice Redding day.
But the one thing that completely bothered me was the presence of large groups of transients. I counted three different circles of eight or more transients sitting in circles in the park. Each one was drinking either 40-ounce bottles of beer, or shared from a 1.75 liter bottle of liquor.
It was absolutely disgusting and absurd. Granted, they were not bothering anyone, at least not that I saw in my limited time down there. But how is it OK with law enforcement in this town for transients to be able to take over larger parts of the park like this? It’s not even noon, and they’re drinking in broad daylight, not even trying to hide it.
The farmers market was in full swing, there were groups of young children playing all around, and it seemed to me like a recipe for disaster.
I know this town has gone downhill as of late, and the times have changed, but is it too much to ask that the park be cleared on the weekends so tax-paying families can enjoy it? Where was RPD? How can they be OK with this kind of display on a weekend?
What’s the point of funding more downtown projects if the lands will just be treated as outdoor bars?
I’m 33, I’ve lived in Redding 20 years and I’ve seen it change a lot, and for the most part it has changed for the better. But this current situation is just out of control. What reason do young families like myself and my friends have to stay in this town if it will one day just be overrun with a transient populace without a care in the world?
It quite frankly saddens me. I want to raise my child here, I really do. But I’m not going to invest time and money into a town that my family and I can only use during certain hours of the day, if even that.
Just for a start, can RPD at least clear the park on the weekends so that families can feel safe bringing their kids out on a nice day? Can the civic leaders of this town please address this mess?
Safety is the biggest concern for my friends and family when we talk about Redding. This problem did not happen overnight and I know it will not be solved overnight, but the populace deserves some answers about what will be done to fix these problems.
I call on the local news organizations to do stories on what is being done on a daily basis to fix the problems in this town. Hold the city accountable for what is happening to this once great little town. At least make RPD answer as to why large groups of transients are allowed to drink in the park on a Saturday before noon.
Thanks for your time,
Jason Watts
Jason Watts lives in Redding.
