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Here Is What SU Students Think Of Thornden Park’s Unsafe Reputation Here is what SU students think of Thornden Park's Unsafe reputation

Here's what SU students think about Thornden Park's reputation of being unsafe.

By Morgan Glicksman

Reporter: This is Thornden Park. On the outside it looks like your average park with trees, grassy areas, a football field, and even a rose garden. However, it’s not known for it’s beauty, it is known for it’s dark past.

Reporter: The park has a long standing reputation of being unsafe. For decades, the park has been known for inspiring the book “The Lovely Bones” which is a true story about the rape of an S-U Student that happened in the park almost 40 years ago.

Reporter: Since the beginning of this year, 48 crimes have been reported in the park including one case of rape.

Reporter:S-U student, Courtney McEvoy, says she rarely ever comes to Thornden park because of it’s unsafe reputation.

Courtney McEvoy: “I would definitely not feel safe walking here at night. There are not a lot of lights in the park and especially as a woman I would never walk here alone and I usually avoid this block anyway.”

Reporter: Thornden Park boarders the University Hill neighborhoods which are home to many Syracuse University students.

Reporter:S-U Student, Eric Thompson, says he has heard rumors about the park being unsafe and has been advised to live as far away from it as possible.

Eric Thompson: “I heard rumors like my freshman year about people either selling drugs or doing drugs in the park. I heard from a few people like oh if you’re going to live off campus when you’re an upperclassman try to be further form Thornden Park.”

Reporter: According to the Syracuse Police Department, there has been a decrease in the amount of crime that has happened in the park in the past four years.

Reporter:I’m Morgan Glicksman reporting for N-C-C News.

SYRACUSE ,N.Y.(NCCNews)— On the outside, Thornden Park looks like your average park with trees, grassy areas, a football field, and even a rose garden. However, it’s not known for it’s beauty, it’s most well known for it’s dark past.

 

The park has a long standing reputation of being unsafe. For decades, the park has been known for inspiring the book “The Lovely Bones”. The book is based off of a true story about the rape of an S-U Student named Alice Sebold in the park almost 40 years ago.

Since the beginning of this year, 48 crimes have been reported in the park including one case of rape. 

“I would definitely not feel safe walking here at night. There are not a lot of lights in the park and especially as a woman I would never walk here alone and I usually avoid this block anyway” said Syracuse University student, Courtney McEvoy.

Thornden Park boarders the University Hill neighborhoods which are home to many Syracuse University students. 

“I heard rumors like my freshman year about people either selling drugs or doing drugs in the park. I heard from a few people like oh if you’re going to live off campus when you’re an upperclassman try to be further form Thornden Park” said Syracuse University student, Eric Thompson.

According to the Syracuse Police Department, there has been a decrease in the amount of crime that has happened in the park in the past four years. Larcenies make up about 35.5% of all crimes that happen in the park each year. 

To report a crime, call the New York State Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 1-866-313-TIPS.

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