Business owners and community members from the Bidwell Park business district met with the Chico Police Department for a safety meeting Tuesday. The meeting was organized by Team Chico.

“The Chico police department values partnerships with our community. These community safety meetings are an important way for citizens to connect with their police department, and the police department to connect with their community. This citizen interaction is critical in furthering the community policing model we have adopted, and we welcome these types of events for that reason,” wrote Mike O’Brien, Chief of Police, in a press release Monday.

Community members addressed concerns regarding illegal activity in and around Bidwell Park such as starting illegal bonfires, illegal camping, and drug activity on the Bidwell bike paths.

O’Brien said that the police department plans on shifting officers away from the campus area to the Bidwell Park area starting this summer. Ninety-two additional officers will be assigned to Bidwell. In addition to this, the police department will be implementing a crisis intervention team training for park rangers to address issues.

Park rangers will be clearing overgrown brush and removing fallen trees from one mile up to middle park this spring. The hope is that this will increase visibility into more secluded areas of the park which will reduce illegal activity.

Michael Fritz can be reached at [email protected] or @themkfritz on Twitter.