Goodwin Park

The HartfordData site has been up and operational since May– don’t let yesterday’s big announcement fool you. Real Hartford has been using it regularly for months. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing some of the more interesting finds in the database. Today features a glimpse at police activity in the larger public parks. What should be obvious is that this only reflects what was reported; if you were bitten by a loose dog and never reported it to anyone, it’s not in the database.

Some city parks — you know which ones — have reputations for being hotbeds of criminal activity. As is often the case, examining the data provides a different perspective. The vast majority of incidents in Hartford’s parks fall into three categories: drinking, animal complaints, and a cornucopia of motor vehicle-related issues.

The most common incident in Keney Park reported to the police in 2014: animal complaints. Between January 1-August 17, 2014 there were 17 reports of animals presenting some trouble or another. The next most frequent problem in Keney Park involved motor vehicles. There were three motor vehicle accidents causing damage in which the motorist evaded responsibility, another instance of a vehicular accident causing damage (but driver didn’t dodge consequences this time), one instance of a vehicle operated while the driver’s license was suspended, one accident involving the a motorist following too closely, one case of reckless driving, and one motor vehicle fire. So, where does this idea come from that Keney Park is especially dangerous? For the first eight months of the year, there was exactly one report of assault and one of a street robbery involving a knife. There were two reports of items lost or stolen during the same time.

While Keney Park — weighing in at 694 acres — had a total 40 police incidents so far this year, Bushnell Park — spanning nearly 37 acres — collected 47. The top crime there? Public drinking accounted for 24 of those incidents. The next most common crime– larceny, with six reports. After that, it’s a grab bag of things like an act of public indecency here, a simple assault at the ice rink there, and a fall on (off?) the band shell. One aggravated assault involving a gun was recorded here.

Colt Park, around 108 acres, has had 55 police incidents so far in 2014, the top one here also being public drinking: 24 reports. After this, most of the crimes or incidents involve motor vehicles: two towed for parking violations, one motor vehicle operated without registration, one operation of a motor vehicle without license, one operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license, a few driving violations, improperly starting a vehicle, and an abandoned vehicle. There was one robbery involving a knife, one risk of injury, and littering. Two of the incidents were recorded as “case drawn in error.” Though not in the database yet, a woman was recently arrested for selling food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages without a license in the park.

Hyland Park

Pope Park had 40 incidents to date; of those 14 were for public drinking and five were animal complaints. Incidents also include two larcenies, one report of an item lost or stolen, and a stolen vehicle. There were two robberies involving guns; one of those appears to be technically outside of the park on Park Street, but frankly, locations and specifics are not always clear in this kind of data. There was also one burglary, breach of peace, and a sudden death.

Elizabeth Park had six incidents, including a false alarm (fire), breach of peace, motor vehicle accident caused by someone unable to back up properly, lost or stolen property, found property, and community service.

Goodwin Park’s incidents were also few: one instance of someone caught lifting metal, an abandoned vehicle found and towed, another vehicle stolen, an investigation related to a stolen motor vehicle, and one animal complaint.

Hyland Park had one animal complaint and an unconfirmed report of shots fired. Nearby Rocky Ridge Park had a single incident: mischief involving property.

At the North Boat Landing (Riverside Park) there was a Blue Law Violation. My stars! A missing person and some missing property were found there on a different dates. There was a reported larceny, an animal complaint, and one incident involving what police label as a “mental case.”

At Charter Oak Landing, there was also an emotionally disturbed person reported, along with a separate drowning. A few stolen or missing items were found, including a motor vehicle. There were a few disabled private vehicles involving hazardous conditions, one accident, and one act of mischief. No public drinking or animal complaints here.

The total number of reported robberies citywide — including parks, residences, streets, and what have you — involving guns is at 104. While two of those were in or at the edge of Pope Park, there were three similar incidents at 145 New Britain Avenue (a gas station/convenience store), two at 259 Sisson Avenue (a restaurant), two at 3460 Main (a liquor store), two at 45 Barbour Street (apartment), and two at 114 Fairfield Avenue (multi-family house). All others were at scattered, non-repeating locations. Those two gunpoint robberies in Pope Park? Both happened when most people are not using the park: nearly 11pm and after midnight. The knifepoint robbery in Keney Park was reported at almost 9pm.