A recent spike in violent incidents at Eleanor Tinsley Park has sparked urgent safety discussions between the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the Houston Police Department.
The talks come in response to two shootings in five days, the latest of which occurred around 1:30 a.m. Thursday in a park parking lot.
A 19-year-old man was shot in the chest after an argument involving his girlfriend. The man is currently recovering, and HPD is looking for witnesses who may have seen the suspect, who is believed to have fled in a truck.
Regular Visitors Concerned
For regular parkgoers like Adelina Garza, the recent violence has changed the way she experiences the park.
“It’s such a beautiful park and I love coming here,” Garza said. “But I try to walk close to the street, keep my phone on, and I always tell someone where I’m going.”
The fear of violence and recent shootings has made Garza hyper-aware of her surroundings:
“It makes me feel like I probably shouldn’t be coming here anymore.”
Anne Olson, President of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, said that in her 30 years with the organization, this is the first time violent crime has been a notable concern.
She attributes part of the change to unauthorized late-night activity, including vendors renting out motorized scooters without proper permits, causing crowds to gather when the park is closed.
“We’ve seen an uptick in incidents since that started happening,” Olson noted.“ Just a week ago, one was arrested for trespassing after failing to produce a permit.”
In response, Olson and other leaders from the Buffalo Bayou Partnership met with HPD earlier this week to discuss bolstering security in the area.
“We had a really good meeting with HPD at a very high level,” Olson said. “They should be able to assist us more.” “We’re in the process of probably hiring an off-duty police officer.”
Scooter Debate at City Council
While those talks were happening, there was a meeting to address safety at the park, focused particularly on the unauthorized scooter rentals and the crime that had happened as a direct result.
One proposal under consideration is a complete ban on scooters in the area, though not everyone agrees that’s the right move.
Legal scooter rental businesses argue that banning all scooters would punish responsible operators, and instead are pushing for stricter enforcement to weed out unlicensed vendors.
As discussions continue, both park officials and the city hope a coordinated response can help restore safety to one of Houston’s most beloved green spaces.
