For the past several months, crews from Durango Parks and Recreation have been trimming shrubs, bushes and vegetation where cleaning crews have discovered hypodermic needles, fecal matter and other unsanitary debris.
Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz said trimming vegetation that has proved problematic is an ongoing chore at the department, which works in conjunction with the Durango Police Department and with community members who report problem areas.
In the past several months, crews have pruned vegetation in the car parking lots on East Second Avenue, in Brookside Park on both sides of Junction Creek, and in Schneider Park, Metz said.
“It’s an evolution,” she said. “When we find an area of concern, we address it right away. When we see a problematic area, we clean it out, and when appropriate, we trim out the bushes.”
Cmdr. Ray Shupe with the Durango Police Department confirmed his agency works with Parks & Recreation to identify troublesome spots for clearing.
“It helps keep people from hiding in different places. It helps to open things up, and it keeps people from hiding and doing different things,” Shupe said.
Metz said an array of unsanitary material is often found in vegetation, and the work to clean it and make landscaping less attractive for illicit behavior is routine.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
