Waitts Mountain Watch

As a neighbor of Waitt’s Mountain Park, I am distressed that the police are tasked to chase friendly, polite people out of the park at 8:00 pm... the coolest time of the day, and best time to go for a walk. The police are just following orders and responding to people who complain about others using this public space, and have been respectful (and almost embarrassed) that they have to kick people out, so I don’t blame them. However, I do object to people being asked to leave a public park for no good reason other than some neighbors complaining. So, in order to counter that, I am complaining. Personally I find the park much nicer later in the day, and it delights me to see it full of friendly, active people... all keeping a safe distance. It feels safer and more welcoming. In this time of turmoil, is this how we want to spend our tax dollars? Deploying police to chase families, climbers, dog walkers and young couples out of a public park? Seems silly to me.

Now that the parks are closed to the public and the gates are locked, preventing police from patrolling there, the park is overrun with groups drinking and smoking pot, especially on the top and on the south side closest to Boston. If parks are going to be closed, please police this park so that we who live near it don’t need to smell pot all day and hear people breaking glass bottles. Thank you.

Despite the parks being officially closed, there is substantially increased use of Waitts Mount Park in the last week. In addition to added foot traffic, there are MANY cars parking on Leonard St, throughout the day and evening, some of which are large vehicles parking on the sidewalks. Every evening and well into the night, groups, tightly packed, are going into the park. I understand the desire for people to be comforted by spending time in natural surroundings but this is adding risk to the neighborhood and stressing residents with noise and potential health hazards from personal contacts and trash. Remedy: Post signs for RESIDENT ONLY parking. ENFORCE parking regulations. HAVE POLICE check the park in the evenings.

Wooden play structure vandalized again. Railings torn off around edges and slide.

Shocked but not surprised that in Malden neighbors are calling MPD to throw people out of a park well before sundown. Among other things, it's a great place to watch the sunset. I've never once felt unsafe there and neither should the neighbors. I wonder why the neighbors feel that way. Could it have anything to do with the basketball court, the fact that the neighbors have an irrational fear of those using it because they don't fit the demographic of the immediately surrounding neighborhood, and that they are basically using their privilege to get the police to enforce their vision of just who has a right to use Malden's parks? MPD should not acquiesce to being used like this. The city should simply set dusk as the closing time for ALL parks city-wide and enforce the rule evenly. Neither the city nor MPD should allow themselves to be drawn into enforcing the privileged mentality of these neighbors. It's blatantly obvious to me what's going on here and what these residents are doing. Let's not get drawn into this. Because it really doesn't look good. Ask Barbecue Becky, et al. how this sort of thing worked out. Our city doesn't need that.

The roof of the playground across from the basketball courts at Waitt's Mount fell off?

Waits Mount park structures (lower level). Might be good to clear out weeds that are growing through the horizontal net and under the vertical climbing net.

Swastika hate graffiti found on the side of the Mount facing the Boston skyline - hope you can remove asap; we didn’t have any material of our own to cover it with - thank you

Those of us who would like to see Waitt's Mt. Park opened daily from 8am-8pm (as it is supposed to be), are not condoning vandalism, or littering, or irresponsible fireworks usage. We are merely asking that this beautiful public area be unlocked, so that people can drive up and enjoy the gorgeous shady park. Today the gate was locked all day long... on a Sunday, when it was in the high 90s... inhibiting any elderly people, disabled people, or just anyone who didn't want to struggle up the long, steep driveway in near 100 degree weather. I live near the park also, and love my strolls up there with my dog. I see rock climbers, couples, families with small children, people jogging, sitting in the shade, nature photographers, folks taking pictures of their graduates... the other day we saw what looked like a couple having wedding pictures taken up there. Though nobody likes those who litter or break glass, it sounds like those things go on late at night... when the park IS closed. I am all for the police patrolling the park at night to make sure that bad behavior doesn't go on. But, to suggest that the park should be closed at all times, day and night, week day and weekend is absurd. We are simply asking that the person whose job it is to lock the gate at 8pm and unlock the park at 8am... do their job. The other day, they locked someone up there... with their car just after 8... yet they frequently don't unlock the park until well into the afternoon... if at all. I would like to see that they are as motivated to open the park at 8:00am as they are to lock it at 8pm. As a tax payer, I do not think this is an unreasonable request.

There appears to be a large gathering in the area of Waites Mountain park with very loud music being played past midnight and people cheering and shouting.

Top of Waiits Mount