CLEVELAND, Tenn. – When Charlie Finnell moved in 35 years ago, the public park behind his home was a safe place. Today, however, he says it’s become a dangerous hub for drugs and sex.
“Tinsley Park used to be a great place,” he said. “Now the bad stuff outweighs the good stuff.”
Patti Petitt, Cleveland’s director of parks and recreation, said she’s rarely heard of negative activity in the park, except for a call last month from a woman concerned about a man she thought was a child molester.
“I would not have a problem with my daughter going out there,” Petitt said. “She grew up out there.”
Kenneth Tinsley Recreation Center was named after Petitt’s father, who was the city’s commissioner of parks, recreation and fire for 27 years. She said she wants to ensure that it’s a well-kept place.
Thirty citations have been issued in the park since January, all for being in the park after hours, records from the City Court clerk’s office show. That’s more than any other Cleveland park, according to city statistics.
Since January, there also have been several reports of vandalism and theft at the park, the Cleveland Police Department says, but only one arrest.
“As with any public venue, there are shady characters who might go to those places, but we rely on officers and, when we’re not there, citizens, to keep us informed,” police spokeswoman Evie West said.
Cruising zone?
Tinsley is listed alongside Deer and Fletcher parks as “gay cruising areas in Cleveland” at www.cruisinggays.com, but Petitt said she’s never seen signs of such activity.
The website says homosexuals usually wait in their automobiles but can “spur interest by walking to the pavilion and just having a seat.”
Coulter said she’s seen the evidence.
“You can go down there now and there are just men sitting around in their cars with no kids, no wives, no nothing,” she said. “It just makes me nervous.”
Pettitt said homosexuals supposedly meet at about every park in Tennessee, because they provide seclusion.
“What can you do about it?” Petitt asked.
The police department has no reports of homosexual or drug activity in the park, said Barbie Watson, statistics and records coordinator.
West said the police department can deal with such activity if it occurs.
“If it happens, we’ll take care of it,” she said. “If there’s indecent exposure, we’ll send people to jail.”
But Joyce Vest, who lives beside the park, said she’s heard rumors, so she walks on Cleveland’s greenway instead.
“I didn’t feel safe,” she said. “There’s not a lot of people walking on the Tinsley trail anymore.”
Renovation ahead
Deer Park, at 1500 Oak St. NW, was the city’s original problem park, but renovation there cleared most troubles away, Petitt said. She said she hopes renovation also will help restore Tinsley Park’s image.
“We’re really trying to do a facelift out there,” she said. “The park’s over 30 years old. It’s time.”
Cleveland and the state of Tennessee are providing $110,000 each for new, disability friendly playground equipment, she said. Bidding will begin in May.
Within a year, Cleveland’s greenway will be connected to the Tinsley Park trail, which will bring more people to the park, Petitt said.
But because the park closes at 10 p.m. and the greenway doesn’t, details for the connection still must be resolved, she said.
Park visitor Robin Savard said she feels safe playing tennis there, surrounded by other women. But she thinks the playground should be closer to the entrance, away from the woods.
Finnell said more police patrols would improve safety.
West said she was unsure how frequently officers patrol, but said police do visit the park area.
Petitt said that if a problem ever occurs at the park, she will get more police patrols.
“If anyone ever has a problem or a complaint, call me,” she said. “Because I will take care of it.”
Contact Harrison Keely at hkeely@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6651.