The 52nd Precinct has apprehended a teen suspect wanted in a string of nighttime fires at Williamsbridge Oval Park, which has prompted a large response by officers and the New York City Department of Parks, and continues to do so.

Police have charged the suspect, a 17-year-old boy whose name is being withheld because of his age, with reckless endangerment after patrol officers caught up with him on Dec. 6, in front of the park’s recreation center before hauling him to the stationhouse. The 17-year-old had already been a person of interest for the rare fire the day before, but ran from the police before they could nab him.

The teen, a self-described leader of a neighborhood crew, admitted to some of the fires though he blamed several others on other incidents members of his group. Shortly after the suspect was charged and released, more fires inside the park were reported, though it’s unclear whether the same suspect was behind it.

At least seven fires were reported at Williamsbridge Oval Park, with the first happening on Nov. 24. FDNY crews rushed to the scene that evening, knocking out a large fireball settled near a playground inside the park. The blaze, powered by dry leaves, took close to a half hour to extinguish.

Other fires were reported Nov. 27 and 29, happening between 8 and 9:30 p.m., according to witnesses who noticed bright flames smoldering from the park. No injuries were reported for each fire.

Tipping Point
The latest incidents represent a tipping point over safety issues at the park, with several quality-of-life concerns cropping up recently. A few weeks ago, a 17-year-old boy was stabbed inside the park, an act categorized by the 52nd Precinct as gang-related. In a separate incident, a fistfight broke out among young people, prompting a poorly-attended community meeting seeking solutions to quell violence.

Police have also received complaints of thieves stealing personal items from parkgoers playing at the multi-use field.

“This year we’ve had a significant increase in conditions at that park,” said Captain John Korabol, the 52nd Precinct’s second-in-command. Speaking at the latest Bedford Mosholu Community Association meeting on Dec. 2, Korabol noted that the stationhouse has put officers on foot patrols at the park since the summer. “During the evenings at the park, we’ve made a number of arrests regarding incidents in that park,” he told the audience.

Protecting the Park
The community and neighbors have largely condemned the uptick in violence. That widespread condemnation stems largely from the neighborhood’s deference to the park, which has improved from a time when the track and field was nothing more than dusty terrain in the 1970s and 1980s.

By all accounts, Williamsbridge Oval Park is a heavily used public space in Norwood, with at least a dozen basketball courts, playgrounds, benches, and multi-use fields. It opened in 1937 after the New York City Department of Parks refashioned the decommissioned reservoir into parkland.

The park’s amenities, also include an indoor recreation center, popular for young people and senior citizens taking advantage of the computer lab, fitness gym and community space.

Following the incidents, the Parks Department dispatched its Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officers. Though not quite an arresting authority, PEP officers are uniformed security personnel, responsible for ensuring park goers obey rules and regulations for each park. Their presence is often scattered given the small roster of officers employed by the Parks Department.

And while PEP officers typically patrol the grounds during the day, the 52nd Precinct monitors park activity at the latter part of the day. For Korabol, an officer’s presence can be advantageous, serving as a strategy for forging better relations with the public. “We like to keep them on foot patrol,” he said. “It’s easier for them to navigate and learn the lay of the land; [and] interact more with the community. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Seeking Solutions
The topic of safety overwhelmed several local Facebook pages. On the Facebook page for Friends of Williamsbridge Oval (FOTWO), a volunteer group that monitors issues at the park, residents bounced around ideas on how to better secure the park. One user proposed volunteers approved by police and park authorities could patrol the area.

Ideas were also discussed by the Bedford Mosholu Community Association, a civic body that normally touches on matters happening in Bedford Park. Sheila Sanchez, president of FOTWO and a member of the BMCA, proposed cameras be installed throughout the park.

But that proposal was countered by Councilman Andrew Cohen, in attendance at BMCA, who expressed “mixed feelings of people being observed while enjoying a park.” “I feel that it’s an unusual spike, because I think the Oval is pretty safe, generally speaking, I’m hoping that this is sort of an aberration,” Cohen explained.

For robbery-related crimes, Korabol noted that the 52nd Precinct and Parks Department are looking to install lock boxes near the sports field to secure property.

Cohen, along with Community Board 7, put pressure on the 52nd Precinct and Parks Department, sending a letter that formalized their concerns.

For now, the 52nd Precinct is adhering to its strategy, keeping officers at the park until further notice. “We want officers to be approachable, and maybe someone in that park one day when an officer [is] walking around, and not driving via car, will whisper in their ear,” said Korabol.