San Bernardino Hires Private Security to Enforce Park Rules
San Bernardino CA June 10, 2023
San Bernardino has enlisted the services of a security firm to enforce the hours of operation at Seccombe Lake, Meadowbrook, Perris Hill and Wildwood parks.
Such assistance began June 1 at a monthly cost of $15,000.
The contract with Redwood Security runs through October, or until a specific pact for security services is awarded, city spokesman Jeff Kraus wrote in an email this week.
City officials will soon issue a request for proposals for such contract work, Kraus added.
Security personnel can cite trespassers.
In a phone interview Friday, June 9, Councilman Theodore Sanchez, whose 1st Ward includes Seccombe Lake and Meadowbrook parks, said having a security presence after hours “ensures the parks are there for people in the long term.”
San Bernardino recently closed Meadowbrook and Perris Hill parks for deep cleaning, and intends to do the same at Wildwood and Encanto parks in the coming months.
The May closures occurred subsequent to residents demanding the City Council do something about the tent cities on park grounds and the homeless individuals who milled about at all hours of the day.
Work at Meadowbrook and Perris Hill parks included 72 unique maintenance tasks and repairs, including the removal of at least 14 dead or decaying trees, chain link fence rehab and restroom renovations.
A new zen sitting area was created at Perris Hill Park, and additions such as walking paths, security lighting, barrier fencing and a horseshoe pit are planned.
“This is what happens when the council speaks as one and we get out of the way of staff so staff can figure out how to get it done,” Sanchez said. “This is a huge step forward to give these parks back to the people who live in those neighborhoods so they can use them.”
The Roosevelt Bowl at Perris Hill Park is where San Bernardino hosts its weekly Sizzlin’ Summer Nights concert series, which kicked off this month and is scheduled to run through July 27.
Gates opens at 5 p.m. Concerts begin at 7.
