Medford, Ore., — Medford Police are cracking down on crime in city parks — particularly in Alba Park in downtown.
This weekend alone, MPD made four warrant arrests, and issued 20 citations there.
More than half were for trespassing.
Six people were cited for drinking in public, and one person was found to have meth in their possession.
Officers say they also issued four exclusions to people who have been frequenting the area, and causing problems for businesses and the public.
With all the crimes at the park — Medford Police are increasing their patrols in the area.
This comes as the Medford City Council is looking to expand the exclusion ordinances to the whole downtown area – not just parks.
But Medford Police say Alba Park is a really just a convenient location for homeless to hang out.
“There’s a lot of services for people who are homeless kind of centrally located in the general downtown area. There’s also a covering at Alba Park.”
Sergeant Antley says the exclusion ordinances are basically just an honor system, and they’re constantly escorting people out of the parks and into the Jackson County Jail for trespassing.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.