Park Call Boxes Undergoing 3-Month Trial

Highway call boxes, familiar to motorists in distress, have been planted at three locations in Balboa Park for a three-month trial.

The solar-powered boxes, linked directly to San Diego police dispatch, began operating Thursday, and are meant to improve safety in the 1,400-acre park, said David Johnson, a spokesman for the county Department of Public Works.

The emergency boxes were installed at Presidents Way near Park Boulevard, Marston Point and Morley Field.

Marston Point was chosen by police because it has been a troublesome crime site, said Gary Stromberg, Balboa Park district manager.

Morley Field covers a large open area, and the box posted along Presidents Way is near an isolated parking lot used by park visitors for a lot of night activities, Stromberg said.

“We think the boxes are a good idea,” he said. “We’ll get a sense of whether they’re valuable” after the three-month trial.

The call box project is a joint effort of Councilman Ron Roberts, county Supervisor Leon Williams and the city parks department, said Johnson.

Williams heads the Service Authority of Freeway Emergencies, a countywide agency that has installed more than 1,000 freeway call boxes.

Only freeway boxes may be paid for with State Department of Motor Vehicle funds, but the agency has helped cities install emergency boxes at other locations, Johnson said.

In December, emergency boxes were placed at Carlsbad State Beach, Oceanside Beach and Ocean Beach.