Penfield looking at changes following park rape

“We are concerned about a number of issues at the park,” says Penfield Town Supervisor George Wiedemer. Wiedemer admits Saturdays sexual assault of two young girls raises questions about safety at Channing Philbrick Park. “I think were going to look at the county sheriffs department and our own parks people. Well be looking at our own security process and whether we need to adjust that part," Wiedemer said. Wiedemer says the Town of Penfield has six public parks but just one employee to patrol al those parks. The city has no police force so it relies on the Sheriffs department for additional patrols, but their main responsibility is patrolling the neighborhoods not the parks. Wiedemer also says the vast area and rugged terrain makes it difficult to cover. “Our police patrol parks sometimes in vehicles in the parking lot areas and driveway areas and also on bicycles ands bicycle patrols or walking around,” says Brighton Town Supervisor Sandy Frankel. Frankel says regular police presence along with park employees are only part of the safety equation. She says an aware public provides the best deterrent to crime. “Its really incumbent on people who are actively using the parks to keep their eyes and ears focused on whats going in around them and to report anything that seem out of the ordinary,” Frankel said.