When the Parks After Dark summer program kicks off Thursday, June 13, at El Cariso Community Regional Park in Sylmar, park visitors will enjoy a mega concert hosted on a professional stage equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems and the performance of Gorden Campbell & Friends band. A “dive-in movie” screening of “Grease” in the park’s swimming pool will be available to guests along with a Ferris Wheel, an outdoor roller skating rink, fitness classes and snacks.
All at no cost.
But the Parks After Dark program, which takes place at 34 parks across Los Angeles County starting June 13, has a mission broader than just entertaining park-goers. It’s part of a Los Angeles County initiative spearheaded by the Department of Parks and Recreation in partnership with other L.A. County departments and community-based organizations to reduce community violence and boost perceptions of safety among park visitors.
“It’s a violence prevention initiative that concerns itself with a variety of issues that happen in communities that are disadvantaged and experience violence,” said Mercedes Santoro, assistant director of the Department of Parks and Recreation County of Los Angeles.
The kick-off of the 2023 Park After Dark program at El Cariso Community Regional Park in Sylmar.
The main goal of the Parks After Dark program was to reduce community violence and boost perceptions of safety among parkgoers, increase physical activity, and create a sense of unity among residents.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Santoro added, is invested in the program because “there were higher instances of obesity and other health indicators in these communities that raised alarms, that really made the county start thinking about long-term health outcomes for individuals who might not be able to afford to access opportunities, as well as may not feel safe going out and walking in their neighborhood.”
A recent study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research shows that residents feel safer, connect better with their neighbors and stay active thanks to the Parks After Dark program.
The study was conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and funded by the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, the county Chief Executive Office, and the county Department of Parks and Recreation.
The Department of Parks and Recreation launched the Parks After Dark program in 2010 in collaboration with other county departments and community-based organizations as part of the county’s Gang Violence Reduction Initiative. It eventually expanded to today’s 34 parks across Los Angeles County. One of the main perks of the program is that all activities offered at the parks, including snacks and food, are free.
The kick-off of the 2023 Park After Dark program at El Cariso Community Regional Park in Sylmar.
“This is a very much equity-driven, high-quality programming that, in many parks across L.A. County, you would have to pay for it. But not in Los Angeles County parks that have been identified as Parks After Dark programming,” Santoro said.
She added: “If you’re experiencing hardship or you can’t access quality food, you can bring your whole family to one of these parks … and take full advantage of having a meal, being entertained and having all of your kids participating in sports.”
The program extended the hours of park operations during summer weekend events and offered a range of free activities for visitors of all ages. In 2022, the program expanded to host one-day events during spring and winter school vacation breaks.
“Parks are the heart and soul of L.A. County, providing safe spaces for our communities to come together and enjoy the outdoors and enriching programming,” said L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Lindsey P. Horvath in a statement.
The UCLA study found that the program contributed to decreasing crime rates in parks that are part of the Parks After Dark program. The park visitors reported that the program activities, including concerts, games and movie nights, increased quality time with family members and provided a sense of safety and belonging within the community, according to a 2023 survey.
“These communities may sometimes be seen as unsafe,” Santoro said. “The number one reason why the program is so successful is that we put safety first, we make sure that if you’re going to come to the park and if you’re staying until 10 p.m. we have … gang intervention services from local communities to disrupt any kind of violence.”
The full list of all parks participating in the Parks After Dark program can be found at https://parks.lacounty.gov/pad/.