While Waco police continue to investigate two reported rapes in Cameron Park, city officials are moving forward with a proposal to outfit the recreational area with a video surveillance system.

Talks between various city departments about improving security in the sprawling 416-acre park were initially spurred by the sexual assault of a 34-year-old woman who was walking in a secluded area when she was approached by a man wielding a handgun in March.

Although the park’s statistics in recent years reflect a low crime rate, the incident reinforced a dark reputation for the area, which has long been haunted by memories of crime in the 1980s, officials said.

Cameron Park ranger Lanny French patrols River Trail with his horse Mr. Biggs.
Rod Aydelotte / Waco Tribune-Herald

In the wake of the highly publicized case, additional crime deterrents — including a greater visibility of park rangers and Waco patrol officers — were put in place, police and park officials said last week.

Five months later, the Parks and Recreation Department is pursuing funding to further bolster security with the installation of video surveillance cameras, Parks and Recreation Director Rusty Black said.

It’s not known how many cameras would be purchased, where they would be located, who would be responsible for reviewing footage and whether the recordings would simply be used for review after a crime was reported or if it would be monitored live.

Authorities fear disclosure of any of that information could help criminals defeat the system, Waco police spokesman Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said.

Meanwhile, several park-users and residents said they welcome the proposal.

“My hope is people who are using the park improperly would know there was a deterrent there, that they’re being videotaped,” said Ian Moore, a resident of Cameron Park’s residential area, dismissing the idea that some visitors would be uncomfortable with being recorded.

“They’re not peering in your home,” he said. “You’re in a public area; it’s not supposed to be private. It’s supposed to be a public space used for recreation. I don’t think the city of Waco is seeing what you’re eating for lunch.”

Conway Del Conte, a regular park user and resident, agreed, saying the cost of cameras would be “taxpayers’ money well spent.”

“When you hear about rapes in broad daylight, that’s a concern,” she said. “It would make (park visitors) feel safer.”

Camera plans

Black said the first challenge is funding, but thought there would be enough money left over from year-end spending to rig the park with a system for about $30,000.

“We have high hopes we will do this,” he said. “The good news is we’re making progress on improving security at the park. The downside is it’s not all put together yet — but it’s looking promising.”

The park already has several battery-operated game cameras, which take still shots when triggered by a motion detector. Black said those cameras, considered to be fairly rudimentary, are rotated throughout the area to help capture images of visitors defacing property.

The proposed cameras would be much more sophisticated than the game cameras, and designed for compatibility with Waco PD’s equipment, Black said.

Considerations for placement of the devices would include the feasibility of running electric lines or fiber-optic cable into a certain spot, he added.

While the park may not be rife with crime, the rape reported March 8 sent a palpable ripple into the community.

According to police, a 34-year-old woman was walking the isolated trails near Emmons Cliff around 9 a.m. when she was approached by a man she initially described as white with red hair and wearing a red shirt and blue jeans. Later, police released additional descriptors — that he was about 6 feet tall with a medium build, and at least one tattoo on his arm.

He raped her at gunpoint, she told officers.

Challenging case

The case has presented its share of challenges for detectives. There was no clearly defined crime scene and no vehicle description.

It’s not known whether DNA or forensic evidence was collected. Rape victims are always encouraged to undergo a sexual assault nursing exam — known as a SANE exam — but it is ultimately the victim’s decision whether to participate, according to police.

Detectives are continuing to search for a suspect.

Another rape was reported three months later, after a 16-year-old girl told officers she was assaulted by a man in a Cameron Park bathroom.

According to authorities, the victim and two other teenage girls met the suspect July 7 near the Lions Club, in the 1700 block of North 42nd Street. They then went with him to the 3100 block of Cameron Park Drive, where the man gave them beer.

The victim later went into the bathroom with the suspect, where she told police she was raped.

The man, described as Hispanic and in his 20s, left in a dark-green Ford Explorer.

No arrests have been made in that case, police said.

Officials with the Waco Police Department declined comment about the video surveillance system, saying it could compromise the program.

“We are taking steps to provide additional security,” Swanton said. “Some of those steps will be plainly visible to folks visiting the park, and some will be not so visible . . . We feel like we’re doing everything we can to provide a sense of security down there and protect our citizens.”

Despite additional law enforcement presence, officials still ask residents to ensure their personal safety in every way they can.

“There are dangers wherever you go, and people need to keep their guards up,” Swanton said. “If things don’t feel right, they’re probably not. Take action to get out of that situation. We’re taking the action that we can within reason and within monetary budgets.”

kcrow@wacotrib.com

757-5748

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