Eleven splash pads opened to the public in Tucson on April 1, and cameras have been installed at some locations. On April 30, one of the splash pads at Barrio Nopal Park was vandalized. It did not have a camera installed, according to Tucson Parks and Recreation spokesperson Sierra Boyer.
“[Barrio Nopal splash pad] was next on the list to have one installed, sadly," Boyer said.
In early April, Boyer and TJ Johnson, Parks and Recreation’s aquatics administrator, said six splash pads have cameras installed — the first time Tucson splash pads have used the technology. Johnson said the cameras are intended to ensure public safety, deter vandalism and, as a bonus, track attendance.
“That's kind of the nice thing about our new technology with our video cameras. It tracks how many people come, and it can also track humans versus animals,” Johnson said.
Andrew Squire, a spokesperson for the city, said that the motion-sensor cameras are from the company Verkada. They are tied to the Community Safety and Resource Center system, or CSARC, a joint real-time community safety center that assists paramedics, police and city officials.
Parks and Recreation acquired the cameras through the department’s information technology budget, and they were later tied to CSARC, according to Squire.
Squire said the cameras’ footage is not continuously monitored.
The cameras store footage for 30 days, according to Squire. Only authorized personnel can access the footage.
The city’s website ensures that the cameras do not use facial tracking software, do not send personal information and do not share footage with ICE.
There is no specific timeline for when the Verkada camera will be delivered or installed at the Barrio Nopal splash pad, according to Boyer.
Fatmata Kpandebia, a Tucson resident who frequents Barrio Nopal Park with her son, said she saw the splash pad closed Friday even though she doesn't use it herself.
Kpandebia was confused about the closures and openings. She said that the “closed due to vandalism” sign did not appear until the following Monday. She said it was sad to see the splash pad closed.
Boyer said the city ordered the vandalism sign Monday, after placing a “closed for maintenance” sign earlier in the week. Boyer confirmed the vandalism was deliberate.
“The button was broken from the exterior surface, which indicates an intentional point of impact rather than a typical internal component failure,” Boyer said.
Boyer said she regrets not having a camera in place to see how the incident occurred.
The city had posted an estimated reopening date of Friday, May 8. But Boyer said a delay in ordering parts has set the reopening back to an unknown date.
Johnson said that Parks and Recreation is discussing adding more signage regarding the cameras before the splash pads close Oct. 31.
