Plea to Reclaim Palisades Park for Families

I am writing to you to express my concern over the state of Palisades Park in Santa Monica. It seems that the park is no longer meant to be used by families even though it is a public park and maintained by us, the taxpayers. It seems that it is only to be enjoyed and abused by the transients--the non-taxpayers.

On Nov. 16, my husband, my two infant sons and I were in the park near Washington Avenue at 3 p.m. We were just playing with our children on the grass when a transient started approaching us menacingly, using foul language. He circled for five minutes, approaching closer and closer, at the end of which he drove us out.

This is not the first incident of this kind. I’ve had transients jumping out in front of my stroller and scaring my baby, and I’ve had to share the park with transients who defecate and urinate and then stroll around calmly with knives hanging from their pants.

Please don’t forget that this is a park and not a drug-trading center, and as such, it should be safe for children and their caretakers. I want the city to please reclaim this park for families and law-abiding citizens.

TEHMINA ADAYA TANNIR

Santa Monica