4 juveniles charged in Wallingford playground fire

Chief says negative behaviors by youths escalating

Four juveniles were arrested and charged in connection with a 2022 fire that burned a Wallingford playscape and other areas of Doolittle Park in Wallingford, police said.

The October fire at the park at 80 South Elm St. engulfed a playscape in flames and small fires were started on a basketball court and in a nearby portable bathroom, police said.

The total cost to repair the playground will be about $69,000.

Police said the Wallingford Fire Department responded to the scene and put out the fire and the Wallingford fire marshal determined the fires were intentionally set. Police said a lengthy investigation was conducted by the Wallingford Police Detective Division, with assistance from the fire marshal

All four of the suspect juveniles are town residents and each is charged with first-degree criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief in the first degree, police said.

The juveniles were all assigned a court date in February at Superior Court for Juvenile Matters in New Haven, police said. The juveniles were not identified because of their ages.

The replacement of the playground was scheduled to go before the Wallingford Town Council Tuesday night.

Chief of Police John J. Ventura said the arrest of the juveniles allegedly “responsible for the destruction of the playscape puts some closure on the events of last year at Doolittle Park.”

The chief noted in a statement that there is an open bid for a surveillance system at Doolittle, which closes on March 1 and he is “confident that the company that is awarded the bid will provide the system we need to ensure the safety of our community while protecting Town property.”

“Unfortunately, the issues with juvenile behavior in Town have not gone away but have increased 165 percent from this period last year,” Ventura said in the statement. “We have been speaking with merchants in the Center Street and Simpson Court areas along with the Wallingford Public Library who have been inundated with juveniles who are causing issues for their establishments.

“Complaints of theft, inappropriate behaviors, trespassing, vaping, and bicycles being used in a menacing manner both on and off the roadway are just a few of the complaints that have been received by this agency,” the chief said. “Enforcement efforts by the Patrol Division have been increased and these efforts have been met with resistance by the juveniles we have been dealing with who continually disrespect the officers assigned to address the issues.

Ventura said discussions are taking place with the Law Department and the Department of Youth and Social Services to implement initiatives to address the negative behaviors. These include a proposed bicycle ordinance to allow “allow officers more enforcement options when dealing with the juveniles who constantly create traffic issues by riding in the middle of the roadway often in a dangerous manner.”

The chief also said that, in coordination with Youth and Social Services, a Wallingford Juvenile Diversion Program which mirrors a “Juvenile Review Board model” has been created to address nuisance issues in a “formal process requiring both the parent and child to appear to speak directly to the negative behaviors.”

Ventura said he understands the frustration felt by the business community and residents and the department is committed “to addressing these juvenile issues and will do everything we can to curb the behaviors that have been plaguing the hardworking business owners who have already been through so much over the last three years.”