COMMENT .. BUT THE OFFICE HAS NOT RESPONDED./// OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ... BUT HIDDEN FROM POLICE. THOSE ARE THE CONCERNS OF PEOPLE ... WHO FREQUENTLY GO TO A SAVANNAH PARK. WJCL 22 NEWS' OLIVIA WILE TALKED TO CITY OFFICIALS .. AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT THE CHANGES THEY'D LIKE TO SEE. ((PKG)) TUCKED AWAY ON SAVANNAH'S SOUTHSIDE.. "WE LIVE RIGHT ACROSS FROM TRIBBLE PARK." A HIDDEN GEM... JOSEPH TRIBBLE PARK IS OFFICIALLY BACK OPEN.. AFTER A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR REPAIR.. BUT NEIGHBORS LIKE JOANN SEPELA SAY THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE. (JOANN SEPELA, RESIDENT) "LAKE MAYER, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE ROAD, YOU CANNOT SEE TRIBBLE PARK." PARK SAFETY... IT'S SOMETHING ALDERMAN KURTIS PURTEE IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH IN HIS DISTRICT. (ALDERMAN KURTIS PURTEE, DISTRICT 6) "WE'VE HAD THOSE CONTINUAL CONVERSATIONS, WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE LIGHTING, MORE CAMERAS, WE'RE LOOKING AT BEEFING UP SECURITY FEATURES LIKE FENCING. WE'VE HAD SOME HOMELESS FOLKS IN THE PARK." AS YOU WALK AROUND THE LAKE.. YOU CAN SEE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE PULLED BACK THE FENCE TO GET IN. WHILE PURTEE SAYS A COMPANY IS COMING IN TO FIX IT.. SEPELA SAYS THERE'S STILL A NEED FOR SURVEILLANCE. (JOANN SEPELA, RESIDENT) "IF SOMEONE, RIGHT AT DUSK, IS STILL WALKING, THEY DON'T KNOW WHOSE IN THE PARKING LOT, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE THE PARK FROM THE ROAD." I ASKED PURTEE WHY POLICE HAVEN'T BEEN COMING BACK TO THIS AREA. (ALDERMAN KURTIS PURTEE, DISTRICT 6) SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, IT'S VERY CUT OFF FROM MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC, THERE'S NOT RESTROOMS OUT HERE. BUT HE SAYS HE AGREES WITH SEPELA ON THE ISSUE.. ADDING THAT IT'S BEING ADDRESSED, AND THAT PARK-GOERS SHOULD EXPECT A PRESENCE AT NIGHT. (ALDERMAN KURTIS PURTEE, DISTRICT 6) "WE'RE GOING TO SEE POLICE A LOT MORE NOW, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT POLICE CHIEF, CITY MANAGER, AND NOW THAT THE PARK WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WE THINK POLICE IS IMPORTANT." WORKING TO MAKE SURE SEPELA AND OTHER SOUTHSIDE RESIDENTS ARE SAFE. (JOANN SEPELA, RESIDEN
Keeping Savannah's Southside safe: Why residents are requesting more police presence at a local park
Now that Joseph Tribble Park is back open in Southside Savannah, residents are worried about their safety.
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Updated: 1:22 PM EDT Jun 7, 2023
Open to the public, but hidden from police. Now that Joseph Tribble Park is back open in Southside Savannah, residents are worried about their safety. JoAnn Sepela has lived near Tribble Park for close to 30 years. “We live right across from Tribble Park,” Sepela said.She’s a moderator of the Windsor Forest ‘Home Sweet Home’ Facebook group, and was part of helping the park get a multi-million repair. TRENDING STORIESGeorgia State Troopers release identity of motorcyclist killed in I-16 crashGeorgia woman arrested after claims she scammed people out of thousands with fake real estate adFollowing Orange Crush, Tybee Island leaders prep for summer 'pop up' eventNow that the park is back open, she says there’s still more work to be done. “Lake Mayer, you can see from the road,” Sepela said. “You cannot see Tribble Park.”This isn’t the first time Alderman Kurtis Purtee has heard about park safety concerns in his district. Now that the park is back open, they’re being renewed. “We’ve had those continual conversations,” Purtee said. “We’re looking at more lighting, more cameras, we’re looking at beefing up security features like fencing. We have had some homeless folks in the park.” Parts of the fencing around the lake in the park have been pried open. Purtee says a company has been contracted to fix it, but Sepela says there’s still a need for surveillance. “If someone, right at dusk, is still walking, they don’t know who's in the parking lot, because you can’t see the road from the park,” Sepela said.WJCL 22 asked Purtee why police haven’t been coming back to the area. “Some of the challenges, it’s very cut off from motor vehicle traffic,” Purtee said.But the Alderman says he agrees with Sepela on the issue, saying it should be addressed soon. “We’re going to see police a lot more now,” Purtee said. “I’ve had conversations with the police chief, city manager, and now that the park will be open to the public, we think policing is important.” Purtee says police will be present the most at night. He also says he is working to secure more funds from the city to build more amenities in the park, like restrooms and a building.
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Open to the public, but hidden from police. Now that Joseph Tribble Park is back open in Southside Savannah, residents are worried about their safety.
JoAnn Sepela has lived near Tribble Park for close to 30 years.
“We live right across from Tribble Park,” Sepela said.
She’s a moderator of the Windsor Forest ‘Home Sweet Home’ Facebook group, and was part of helping the park get a multi-million repair.
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Now that the park is back open, she says there’s still more work to be done.
“Lake Mayer, you can see from the road,” Sepela said. “You cannot see Tribble Park.”
This isn’t the first time Alderman Kurtis Purtee has heard about park safety concerns in his district. Now that the park is back open, they’re being renewed.
“We’ve had those continual conversations,” Purtee said. “We’re looking at more lighting, more cameras, we’re looking at beefing up security features like fencing. We have had some homeless folks in the park.”
Parts of the fencing around the lake in the park have been pried open. Purtee says a company has been contracted to fix it, but Sepela says there’s still a need for surveillance.
“If someone, right at dusk, is still walking, they don’t know who's in the parking lot, because you can’t see the road from the park,” Sepela said.
WJCL 22 asked Purtee why police haven’t been coming back to the area.
“Some of the challenges, it’s very cut off from motor vehicle traffic,” Purtee said.
But the Alderman says he agrees with Sepela on the issue, saying it should be addressed soon.
“We’re going to see police a lot more now,” Purtee said. “I’ve had conversations with the police chief, city manager, and now that the park will be open to the public, we think policing is important.”
Purtee says police will be present the most at night. He also says he is working to secure more funds from the city to build more amenities in the park, like restrooms and a building.
