WESTFIELD – Stymied by a locked gate and the wall around Stanley Park, officers responding to a caller’s late-night report of a gathering inside the park watched from a distance as a gathering of persons around a small fire dispersed.
When a key arrived and the officers entered the park they found the trespassers had left, leaving behind a large number of beer cans and other alcohol containers and the mostly extinguished remains of a fire in one of the picnic grills.
“They must have had a good party” said Bob McKean, the park’s managing director, as there were a lot of liquor containers left behind.
He said that, in addition to beer cans, park workers found the remains of fire in the barbeque grills set up in the picnic area and found that leaves had been burned.
McKean said “the police department has a key to all our gates” and said that security video will be reviewed.
He said “all we want is to have a safe place” at the private park and stressed that his concern is the burned leaves which could spark a spreading fire. He said that a fire at the park could go unnoticed until it reached one of the park’s many nearby neighbors.
The responding police officers had reported that they had seen a small fire and seen that people with flashlights had extinguished the fire as they left.
The officers had reported that, when they reached the picnic area and found it deserted, they fully extinguished the fire and discarded the remaining alcohol.
McKean said that, although the park is privately owned, it is meant to be enjoyed by the public but said “they shouldn’t be in here at night, no matter who they are.”
He said “this is a tough time for us” as many of the students at nearby Westfield State University come to the park to have fun as classes end and they have more free time before dispersing for the summer.
But, he said, “the fun doesn’t happen after closing time at the park” and said “we would prosecute” trespassers and vandals who are identified.
The identity of the trespassers at the park was not determined but, if any are found to be Westfield State University students, they may also face administrative sanctions by WSU officials, according to WSU spokesperson Molly Watson.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable,” Watson said yesterday.”Our student Alcohol and Other Drug policies are clear. If a student (offender) is able to be identified, any violations of the student conduct code or a violation of federal, state or local laws shall subject the offender to university disciplinary process or criminal prosecution.”
