By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The positive news that park rentals were up last year, was accompanied by the news that calls for park police also jumped up for the year.
The Wood County Park District Board of Commissioners got the annual report last week from the district’s police department. The officers respond to issues like injuries, vandalism, alcohol violations, vehicle accidents, hunting violations, and complaints about animals.
Park Police Chief Todd Nofzinger pointed out that the increase in incidents does not equate to an increase in “crime.”
“A large number of our incidents are non-criminal in nature such as visitor injuries or finding an unsecured truck door, and many occur outside the parks in mutual aid when we encounter a disabled vehicle or traffic accident while traveling from park to park,” Nofzinger said in his report.
The police are also charged with handling the people renting the district’s 13 facilities.
In 2018, the park district saw 567 rentals. That number increased to 650 in 2019.
A similar jump was seen in incidents reported to the park police last year. The number went from 183 in 2018, to 254 last year.
Two factors likely led to the increase, according to Nofzinger. First, the patrol hours were increased because the police department was at its full staff of six officers, as opposed to 2018 when the park district was down to five officers for most of the year.
Second, some entries were included in police “incidents,” that have not been included in the past.
Following is a list of the top 10 incidents recorded for 2019:
- Open door reports: 59
- Mutual aid: 37
- Traffic accidents: 25
- Suspicious incidents: 15
- Park hours: 13
- Animal complaints: 11
- Criminal damaging: 11
- Road hazards: 10
- Criminal mischief: 10
- Alarm drops: 9
The parks seeing the most incidents were:
- W.W. Knight Preserve: 35
- Slippery Elm Bike Trail: 31
- Otsego Park: 25
- Sawyer Quarry: 17
- Bradner Preserve: 15
- Park headquarters: 15
Also involving the park police at last week’s meeting, the board debated where to purchase one new patrol vehicle. Munger explained the park district has six officers and six vehicles, so each year one old vehicle is retired and replaced with a new vehicle.
The park district identified a Ford Police Interceptor hybrid SUV as the best vehicle to purchase. Three bids were received: $36,350 from Matthews Ford in Oregon, $36,841 from Reineke Ford in Findlay, and $38,846 from Thayer Ford in Bowling Green.
“We always try to go with a local dealer,” Munger said. He added, however, that it would be difficult to justify spending an extra $2,500 in taxpayers’ money to buy in Wood County.
Once purchased, Munger said the vehicle would be taken to Thayer for maintenance.
The board voted 3 to 2 in favor of buying the SUV at Matthews Ford. Both Bill Cameron and Sandy Wiechman favored buying from Reineke in Findlay since there is a Reineke Ford in the Wood County section of Fostoria.
In other police business, the board approved a change to the park district law enforcement policy manual, allowing police to carry their personal firearms as long as they are on the list of approved firearms and they are qualified on them.
Also at the park district meeting, the board accepted bids for several improvements to park facilities.
At Otsego Park, the board agreed to pay up to $23,254 for replacement of the tile in the river overlook room. The existing tile is the original flooring in the room. The board also accepted a bid of $20,048 for 22 window replacements in the Thompson Stone Hall at Otsego Park. The windows were put in about 28 years ago – and some of the wooden sills are rotting, so they are currently nailed shut.
Munger said it is hoped the floor and windows can be installed during February, when there are no rentals scheduled at the building.
The board approved of a $3,129 change order at Sawyer Interpretive Center for the wood-burning fireplace. The park district plans to use the fireplace for programs on cooking over a fire.
At the Bradner Nature Preserve, the board approved a bid of $16,215 from Jim Palmer in Bowling Green for trail culverts.
Munger explained that the Bradner park is bisected by a large drainage ditch. In order for the trails to be expanded to the other section of the park, two culverts will be installed.
At the proposed Rudolph bike park, the board approved a bid of $14,903 from Fremont Fence for a vinyl privacy fence along the property, and a chain link fence by the storage garage.
In other business at the meeting, the board:
- Welcomed new member Kim Rose, from Bowling Green, and welcomed back Denny Parish, who was reappointed to the board.
- Re-elected Tom Myers as chairperson and elected Sandy Wiechman as vice chairperson.
- Changed meetings to 4 p.m. on the second Tuesdays of each month.
- Learned that a grant had been applied for funding to purchase AEDs for park facilities. Currently, the park police carry AEDs in their vehicles.
- Learned from Corinne Gordon, historic farm specialist with the district, that the Black Swamp Spinners Guild is now holding its monthly meetings at the Carter Historic Farm.
