BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont residents in the city’s South End are calling for action, hoping that their children will have a safe place to play and community will have a sound area to gather.
The Charlton Pollard Park was built in 2003, and some community members believe it has not been repaired since. Residents said what should be child-friendly place has moldy splash pads and areas with exposed wood that make it unsafe for children.
"It's all rusted out, and this playground has been here for 19 years,” Torey Bruce, Beaumont resident, said. “Trying to get everything cleaned up so these kids can be safe over here."
Community members such as Bruce want Charlton Pollard Park to be a place where area children can have fun and let off steam without the risk of bodily harm.
“Then with the water park, we are also having issues with the sprinklers not spraying,” Bruce said. “The pad not being cleaned. Kids can get any kind of infections from that.”
Bruce claims he has asked the city multiple times to make upgrades to the park.
"Going to city council meetings and talking about it and getting ignored," Bruce said. "[It's] to the point to where the playground really needs to be shut down [until] it gets fixed, before a child gets hurt."
Samuel Hawkins is also a Beaumont community member. According to him, the park is used as more than just a playground.
"Sometimes, it's hundreds of people out here,” Hawkins said. “This neighborhood looks like a together type of neighborhood for family functioning things."
Bruce plans to keep voicing his concerns and calling for action until something changes.
"We have seen some other stuff at other parks," Bruce said. "The park on the west end, Rogers Park and all that has been getting replaced and niced [sic] up. We would like to see the same thing done to our park. Our kids are well deserving of having the same thing too."
