Taking steps to improve park safety after 2 Madison park shootings in 1 month
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — After two different shootings happened in the span of a month in one Madison park, city officials have taken steps to increase safety in the area.
Cedar Hill Park, located in the 800 block of Old Hickory Boulevard in Madison, has seen two separate shooting incidents in a matter of weeks, with teens injured in both. At the beginning of the month, a man shot at a Metro Nashville Police Department vehicle and struck a teen girl in the leg. He now faces a federal firearm charge.
Then on Memorial Day, two teens were reportedly caught in the crossfire of a second shooting.
Both of these incidents had District 3 Councilwoman Jennifer Gamble contacting MNPD on how to make the park safer for residents and visitors.
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'Park security — particularly in our greenways and greenspaces in Metro Parks — is very important,' Gamble told News 2. 'And I have had discussions with MNPD and Metro Parks about improving safety, particularly at Cedar Hill Park.'
After the shooting at the beginning of the month, Gamble said she reached out to MNPD about increasing patrols in the park and in park shelters, particularly due to reports of drug and other illegal activity happening in the parks.
Both the MNPD and Metro Parks agreed to increase patrols in the area prior to the Memorial Day shooting. Additionally, Metro Parks installed a new security gate at the entrance to Cedar Hill Park in March.
'That gate is locked after hours when the park is closed,' Gamble said, noting it was designed to decrease vehicle-related criminal activity in the park after park hours.
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All Metro Parks operate on a dusk-to-dawn schedule, meaning no visitors are supposed to be in the parks after the sun sets each day. Further, Gamble told News 2 there are currently plans in the works to install new cameras in the park.
'Currently, there is a police safety cam situated at the entrance of the park to help prevent or deter crime from happening and also to record it if it does happen so that we can act quickly to address the crime and bring individuals to justice,' Gamble said.
Other Cedar Hill Park concerns citizens have brought to Gamble include the integrity of the pavement throughout the park's walking trails and roadways and traffic safety issues. Gamble said speed humps have been installed at the park in recent months to help cut down on speeding inside the park boundaries.
Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@wkrn.com.
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