El Cajon’s Mobile Rec was initially an experiment in providing mobile recreation services to youth in El Cajon who did not have easy access to a park or recreation center, as well as increase positive presence in incident-heavy parks. Over the years, Rec Squad has grown to so much more. Rec Squad travels throughout the El Cajon community on a regular basis, and kids know to look for the bright orange van with its free games and activities. The Rec Squad and its staff are also present at every City special event, as well as other community and school events. The mobile recreation’s presence in the community has created many memorable experiences for El Cajon’s youth and created a safe place for kids to engage, learn, and play for free.
In addition, Rec Squad’s presence at Wells Park has significantly reduced crime in the park; its success has made it clear to City staff and elected leaders in El Cajon that it is worth investing in parks and recreation services. This has resulted in hundreds of thousand of dollars being dedicated to improvements in Wells Park and other parks in the City, which has in turn resulted in increased program participation and park visits per year. |