TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The Tucson Police Department recently launched Operation Relay, a new 12-month strategy to increase police presence in midtown parks.

This comes after a fatal shooting at Reid Park last week and several other violent incidents earlier this year.

The TPD will assign patrol squads to roughly every park in its midtown division. Officers plan to build relationships and trust with park visitors through this proactive approach, hoping to increase safety over time.

Felix Montes, who frequently takes his two sons to Reid Park, said they sometimes go elsewhere due to safety concerns.

“We’ve run into the problem where we get to the park and there’s a bunch of homeless or one or two homeless and not only them but all their belongings,” Montes said.

He said the inc

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