La Crosse temporarily closing Burns, Cameron Parks

The City of La Crosse is closing two of its downtown parks effective immediately.  

The closing of Burns and Cameron parks is a temporary move according to Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey.  

“This action is not taken lightly,” he said in the statement announcing the closures. “While it may be easy to attribute the challenges in our parks solely to our unsheltered neighbors, the reality is more complex. Both sheltered and unsheltered individuals have contributed to behaviors that compromise the safety and integrity of these public spaces including selling drugs, drug use, violence, and other inappropriate conduct.” 

Recently, police have had more calls to the parks.  

“The atmosphere in these parks needs to improve,” stated La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron. “We have responded to unsafe behaviors including an increase in physical violence — fights, drug use, and drug overdose in these parks. We want to work together and focus on making our parks safe for all community members to use. Our staff will continue to approach all situations they respond to with compassion and respect, while maintaining a strong focus on public safety.” 

The release from the city said crews will clean the parks to remove any items that make them unsafe.  

“We strive to provide a park system that all community residents can enjoy in a safe and welcoming manner,” added Parks Director Jay Odegaard. “When safety concerns arise, park operations need to be closed until those concerns can be addressed and eliminated by staff.” 

No timetable was given by the city for when the parks would reopen.  

“Our parks belong to everyone,” said Mayor Washington-Spivey. “They are meant to be safe, welcoming spaces for families, children, and individuals from all walks of life. We cannot and will not condone behavior that disrupts that vision.” 

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