Rickarby Park Safety Takes Center Stage as Neighbors Press Mobile Leaders

MOBILE, Ala. — Residents who live around Rickarby Park brought their worries about Rickarby Park safety directly to Mobile’s top elected and public safety leaders Monday, Oct. 19, during a community forum at the Rickarby Community Center that followed two shootings in the neighborhood in recent months.

Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis, Police Chief William Jackson, Executive Director of Public Safety Curtis Graves and District 2 City Councilwoman Samantha Ingram were among the city representatives who attended. Each told the crowd that the safety of the neighborhood is their top priority, and police said they will keep a close watch on the area.

Two Shootings Prompted the Meeting

The forum was organized after two incidents near the park. In July, a woman was shot in the head and survived. Then, last month, gunfire struck a home and several vehicles in the area.

Ingram had announced the Community Safety Forum earlier this month in her weekly District 2 newsletter, scheduling it for 4:30 p.m. Monday at the community center at 550 Rickarby Street. In that announcement, she described the gathering as a chance for city leaders to listen, asking residents to come prepared to share what they are seeing, what concerns them most and what changes would help them feel safer.

Mayor Says Safety Is About How People Feel

Cheriogotis told neighbors that public safety cannot be measured only by numbers on a crime report. He said it also depends on whether residents feel comfortable stepping outside and walking to their neighborhood park.

“It’s not just declining numbers as far as crime stats. It’s a feeling, it’s a perception of, when I walk outside when I walk over to my park, when I’m out and about I feel safe,” Cheriogotis said.

The mayor also expressed confidence in the neighborhood’s future.

“I’m really optimistic about this park, Rickarby Park, about the beautiful homes that are all around this park,” he said.

Cheriogotis took office in November 2025 after winning the city’s mayoral election earlier that year. Jackson has led the Mobile Police Department since the City Council approved his appointment as chief in September 2024.

Officials Promise Continued Attention

Graves, who oversees public safety for the city, said he wants to keep the conversation with residents going beyond Monday’s meeting. Police told those in attendance that officers will closely monitor the area around the park.

Forums like this one give residents a chance to raise specific concerns, such as particular streets, times of day or recurring problems, that can help police decide where to focus patrols. They also give neighbors a direct line to the elected officials who set the city’s budget and priorities.

Ingram, a Mobile native and longtime educator, won the District 2 council seat in the August 2025 municipal election and was sworn in that November. In her newsletter announcing the forum, she wrote that “no report, statistic, or meeting can replace the experiences of the people who call a community home,” a theme echoed in the mayor’s remarks about how safe residents feel.

About Rickarby Park and Community Center

Rickarby Park and its community center are operated by the city of Mobile’s Parks and Recreation Department at 550 Rickarby Street in District 2. According to the city, the site includes a playground, a basketball court and restrooms, and the center building has a kitchen and two multipurpose rooms used for neighborhood activities and gatherings.

The park has been the focus of city investment before. In 2017, the city approved improvements through its Capital Improvement Program that included a new basketball court, goals and benches, new baseball benches, sidewalk repairs, new trash receptacles, security measures, fresh paint inside and outside the recreation center and a new roof for the building.

The park is surrounded by homes, a point the mayor emphasized Monday, and the center serves as a natural meeting place for neighbors, which is why it was chosen to host the forum.

How Residents Can Share Concerns

Residents who could not attend Monday’s forum can still raise concerns with city officials and police. Useful contacts include:

• District 2 council office: 251-208-7441 or [email protected]
• Mobile Police Department: 251-208-7211
• Mobile Area Crime Stoppers (anonymous tips): 251-208-7000
• Emergencies or crimes in progress: Call 911

Public safety officials generally encourage residents to report suspicious activity promptly, get to know their neighbors and consider forming or joining a neighborhood watch group. Anyone with information about the July shooting or last month’s gunfire near the park is encouraged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

For now, residents have the city’s commitment that officers will keep a closer eye on the area, along with Graves’ pledge to keep the dialogue with the Rickarby community going.