ANCHORAGE — Anchorage officials are looking to reduce crime at a city park that has been at the center of several public safety complaints, with plans to tear down a large, decades-old fountain as part of the effort.
Mayor Ethan Berkowitz announced the removal of the fountain Wednesday at a press conference, along with other measures aimed at improving public safety, including increasing police patrols near Town Square Park, KTUU-TV reported.
Berkowitz said the fountain installed in the 1980s has become “has become a barrier and a hiding spot” for people who engage in illegal activity. It also hasn’t “worked for some time.”
The city’s goal is to make families feel safe and attract more people to the area.
“This will be a joint effort with the community,” said Anchorage police Capt. Kenneth McCoy, who was also at the conference.
Berkowitz said there are plans for the Anchorage Downtown Partnership to increase the number of public events at the park and partner with the Anchorage Community Development Authority to offer free parking nearby during certain times of the day.
The steps announced Wednesday to reduce crime in the area are just the start of the process in making Town Square more family friendly, Berkowitz said.
“We’ll take this one step at a time,” he said. “Doing nothing is not an option.”
