Neighbors of Woodlawn Park requested safety measures for years before hateful graffiti
Residents of the Lower Beaver neighborhood are advocating for more safety measures after a series of anti-Semitic and anti-gay graffiti were drawn in the Woodlawn Park this week.
The hate speech was originally found Sunday morning, according to Sgt. Paul Parizek at the Des Moines Police Department. Parks and Recreation brought in a crew to remove it. Then it repeated on Monday and most recently, Tuesday morning.
"Our detectives are investigating, including review of surveillance video," Parizek said in a statement.
Woodlawn Park is surrounded by the backyards of residents, with no main road nearby, making it very secluded. The neighborhood has for years made requests to Parks and Recreation, police and to city council for additional lights and cameras to be installed.
According to Jeremy Geerdes, Lower Beaver Neighborhood Association President, the city cited equity in denying their requests, saying they would then have to find the funds to install these safety measures in all of the parks. Finite resources isn't going to hinder and the neighborhood anymore. Geerdes said he is now trying to brainstorm funding solutions to buy and maintain lights and cameras.
"Our objective here in the next few months, I expect is going to be as a neighborhood association, trying to be even more, not just vocal, but also trying to identify additional funding sources to see if we can fix that issue," he said.
According to Geerdes, police have a camera in the area that they're reviewing for footage, but he asks that if anyone nearby has doorbell or security footage facing the park to share it with police.
With a park so secluded, there have been issues in the past involving people from outside the neighborhood coming in and participating in illegal activities. Geerdes said it's not a regular thing to occur, but like other parks in the city, he said it happens.
Two years ago, there were three shootings in Woodlawn Park, according to Geerdes. Nobody was seriously injured, but according to him, it was caused by people outside of the area coming in and causing trouble.
"We have not had anything like this at Woodlawn Park in a long time," Geerdes said. He said this hate speech is on another level and has gotten calls Tuesday from residents upset with the hate speech vandalism and are advocating for change to be done.
Back in December 2022, the Des Moines Register photographed another incident of anti-Semitic, racist and anti-gay in the park.
"In general, Woodlawn Park is very, very safe," Geerdes said. "It doesn't have more or less crime than any other park of its size and nature throughout the city. It's just this particular moment we have somebody being a jerk."
Geerdes said that even though the park has had its issues, it's overall a "fantastically safe neighborhood," and celebrates its status as one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the state. This year they will hold their second Summer Fest in Woodlawn Park to celebrate that.
"This park is used every single day by people who are doing wonderful things and just enjoying the park," he said.
Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter @NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: A series of anti-Semitic & anti-gay graffiti shocks a DSM neighborhood
