DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Dallas has opened a park in the Vickery Midtown area to try to convince people who live in the neighborhood to work together to reduce crime.
The Department of Justice has identified Vickery Midtown as one of the most dangerous parts of the city.
The Department of Justice worked with the city and several non-profits to develop a park across the street from Tasby Middle School and Jack Lowe Elementary School.
The park opened this weekend. Students painted self portraits that are now on display at the corner of Park Ln and Ridgecrest. They also painted colored crosswalks in the street.
"Their reactions were just over the moon," says the Better Block Foundation's Krista Nightengale. "They were so ecstatic; they were so happy. They were already using the spaces. They helped paint some of the elements. I had one community member who said she's lived here 14 years, and this is the best thing she's ever seen."
The Better Block Foundation says Dallas is also improving sidewalks and lighting along the streets in Vickery Midtown. Nightengale says some parents are afraid to let their kids walk home from school because the area is so dangerous.
"We're hoping that through this, they will have a different experience while walking home and parents won't be afraid to send their kids to school here," she says.
The park also includes a plaza and stage for small music shows or dance classes. Nightengale says the area aims to help neighbors get to know each other.
"That's a lot of what we do is bring spaces to life so people can experience what the difference can feel like," she says. "They can go from strangers to neighbors, and we can create safer environments and push bad guys away from this space."
