After Silver Comet Attack, Woodstock Steps Up Trail Security

In light of the attack on a young woman utilizing the Silver Comet Trail segment in Paulding County, the city of Woodstock is taking proactive steps to ensure residents won’t meet a similar fate along its paths.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department is moving forward with implementing a Trail Watch program. The program would be staffed by volunteers who would monitor both trails and parks and report safety hazards, suspicious activity and help residents along the paths.

These volunteers would be identified by wearing bright-colored vests or T-shirts and would also carry a city-issued identification card.

Preston Pooser, the city’s parks and recreation director, introduced the program during the Woodstock City Council meeting on Monday.

Volunteers must be 18 years old, complete an application process, submit to a criminal background check and attend training classes provided by the city. The Trail Watch Academy would consist of two-hour training class (which would be offered quarterly) and would include an introduction to patrol techniques, trail etiquette, communications with 911 and will be training in first aid and CPR procedures.

These volunteers would not be trained to intervene in potentially dangerous or life-threatening situations, and would add to the city’s current security measures.

Pooser outlined those existing measures already undertaken by the city’s parks and public safety agencies:

-Parks and Recreation staff are routinely in the parks and trails Monday through Friday and during special events on the weekends.

-Woodstock police officers patrol both parks and trails everyday of the year. To date, Pooser added the Woodstock Police Department has performed 1,277 foot and bike patrols on the city’s trails.

-Members of the Woodstock Fire Department’s staff and bike patrol also ride the trails two to three times each week.

“We have a really good working relationship with police and fire,” Pooser stated. “We really are out there a lot. There’s probably not a day that goes by that doesn’t have city staff somewhere on the trails.”

Additionally, funds raised through a partnership agreement with Gas South have been earmarked for trail safety equipment, Pooser stated. These funds so far have been used to purchase bikes, four wheelers and sign markers.

Woodstock’s Greenprints Trail System would eventually include over 60 miles of multi-use paths connecting current and future greenspace and parks.

Its list of completed trails include Town To Creek/Noonday Creek Trails, Taylor Randahl Memorial Mountain Bike Trails at Olde Rope Mill Park, the The Trestle Rock Trail segment at Olde Rope Mill Park and Little River pedestrian bridge at Olde Rope Mill Park.

Trails funded, but under construction or in the pipeline are the Rubes Creek Trail, WellStar Community Health Trail at Woodstock Elementary School, Dupree Park Fitness Trail and the Towne Lake Pass Trail.

For more information about the Trail Watch Program, contact the Woodstock Parks and Recreation Department at (770) 517-6788.

(Photo: Town To Creek Trail segment. Credit: Greenprints Alliance)