Hampden County Sheriff’s deputies will continue to make appearances and perform patrols at Forest Park.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Sheriff Nick Cocchi detailed the arrangement in front of the park’s Sumner Avenue Entrance Tuesday.
Joining them were the city’s new Police Superintendent, Lawrence Akers, as well as its new executive Director of Parks, Building and Recreation Management, Tom Ashe.
“We've had the park patrols and the people love it - they absolutely love it. Besides public safety, it's really about hospitality,” Mayor Sarno said Tuesday. “Now, our police patrols do come through here too, but it allows Police Superintendent Akers to keep more men and women on the street. Again, this comes under the auspices of Police Superintendent Akers.”
Overlooking the announcement were a pair of horses – part of the sheriff's department’s Mounted Patrol Unit, which has been a regular sight at the park over the last few years.
Speaking with reporters, Cocchi said the patrols are an opportunity for officers and deputies to “show their human side.”
In the past, the sheriff has said park deputies have been able to break up fights and deal with disturbances in general, while also being able to assist in finding lost children and being some of the first to administer first aid.
While at the podium, he also took time to simply praise the 735-acre park that’s home to a zoo, baseball diamonds, flower gardens and other amenities.
“This park is a gem,” he said. “A lot of the parks in the City of Springfield are, but this park is something unlike anywhere else. If you really want to see what we're talking about, go take a ride through. It's absolutely breathtaking.”
Moving forward, a second shift is being added for the patrols, which will feature deputies going through the park from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., in addition to the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift.
Superintendent Akers noted the patrols alleviate the Springfield Police Department’s workload.
“They're going to expand their coverage, they're going to help us with that, and we'll still be coming through here, we'll still be patrolling just like normal,” Akers said. “But, with the sheriff's [personnel] that are going to be here, that's just an absolute plus for my department and also all the residents of the city or just people that come here to enjoy this park.”
The public remarks were some of Akers's first since he was sworn in as the new head of the department last week.
