BILLINGS- Settled in the EBURD District of Billings is one of Montana’s oldest and most historic parks.
Criminal activity tends to take up space in North Park, but the BIRD district has plans to change that.
EBURD stands for the East Billings Urban Revitalization District and the BIRD is the nonprofit organization that works to help manage growth and renewal of the area, through tax-increment financing.
With a handful of shootings and a recent stabbing happening here in recent months, those with the BIRD are making North Park a major focus, where funding and fresh ideas could help.
“To really grow and enhance this park to what it really deserves,” said Michelle Harkins, the executive director of BIRD. “Because what I love about this park is it's historically important to the area.”
Harkins has plenty of goals in mind for North Park, including installing an urban dog park, bringing back the annual Renaissance Fair and a cattle drive in October to the EBURD district to attract and entertain Billings residents.
But for now, she’s tackling the smaller things that make a huge difference.
“I feel safe here,” said Roundup resident Steve McLaren.
He and his hound, Mary Jane, spent a sunny afternoon in North Park taking in the smell of green grass, open air, and sunshine.
She likes to smell the trees and look for squirrels, said McLaren, talking about Mary Jane’s priorities when they visit the park.
But sitting under one of the three pavilions in the park, he noticed right away a bright light above, something installed earlier in the summer to provide safety and evade crime.
Since the start of the year, Billings police report that officers have responded to 431 incidents at North Park. It’s a number that towers above its counterpart, Rose Park, where police responded 185 times this year.
Harkins is looking for ways to bring that number down.
“They are all lit up under there now,” said Harkins.
But that’s not all that’s on Harkins’s agenda after several immediate changes, including delineators at the intersections on the north side of the park to slow traffic and the revamping of the art installations at the corners of the park.
Harkins, city parks and Billings police are working together to make these spaces safer after studies show, that parks severely lacking sufficient lighting attract criminal activity.
“When you activate a park, you get rid of any bad behavior,” she said.
It’s working to make those like McLaren feel safer and more engaged.
“Looks like it’s quite bright,” he said, looking up at the light. “It would light this up quite nice at night.”
Harkins says along with plenty of new businesses coming to the EBURD, there’s also initiatives to promote safety beyond the lighting and traffic tools, such as upgrading sidewalks and security, all things she’s working to design in the upcoming master plan.
But for now, added lighting is a big step to a handful of changes to North Park, Harkins believes can jump start new life for a park plagued with crime.
