City adds new lights to Woodlawn Park

On Easter Sunday, neighbors awoke to find hateful messages spray painted on several surfaces in Woodlawn Park. Although DMPD responded and the city’s Parks and Recreation department was quick to remove the message, the vandals returned the very next night. Again, city crews cleaned up the mess within hours, but the culprits returned once more for the third consecutive night.

In response to these incidents, the LBNA once again called upon the city to help. The Des Moines Police Department is investigating the incidents as hate crimes. In the days following the incidents, they utilized cameras in the park to gather information and posted a surveillance team on multiple evenings to monitor activity. They also increased patrols throughout the area and added Woodlawn Park to a list of parks that will receive extra attention from the summer’s dedicated park patrol.

More recently, cooperation between city councilwoman Connie Boesen and the Parks & Rec department led to the installation of new, brighter lighting in the parking lot and at the park’s main shelter. The new lighting greatly improves visibility throughout the most active portions of the park.