Neighbors petition for a splash pad in Keller Park

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A group of South Bend residents are fighting crime from a new angle.  They believe a splash pad at Keller Park will help keep kids off the streets.

"If you find a kid something to do there aren’t going to get in trouble, I mean I was young once, I know what you get into when you’re in the street." said Bootsie Grant. 

Grant has lived in the Keller Park area for years.

She says the kids in the area need something fun and safe to do, especially on the dog days of summer.

Her idea is to add a splash pad to Keller Park and she is going door to door to make it happen.

The Keller Park Neighborhood Association is on board with the plan.

They say a splash pad would complete the park.

"We want to bring people together and make for a safer neighborhood, and that includes the children, we want them to have a place to go rather than just hanging out in the streets." explained Judith Robert, the Keller Park Neighborhood Association President.

There are not any splash pads within a five to ten mile radius of Keller Park, which makes for a near impossible journey for kids who don’t have a ride, and even for some of those who do.  

Grant and the other members of the neighborhood association say they will not stop knocking until they have enough signatures to present to the South Bend Parks Department.

If you would like to sign the petition you can do click here.

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