OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City leaders are trying to assure residents that city parks are safe, following a survey that found 40 percent of those polled felt unsafe in them.

“I didn’t think it would be that high,” said Will Rogers Park visitor David Stott. “I’ve been coming to this park for 40 years, and I have never had a problem, never once. Sometimes, people put themselves in a bad spot.”

City leaders want more people to feel the way Stott does. They said they were surprised at the 40 percent who said they felt unsafe and said it doesn’t reflect the reality. They said they also recognized it means they have some work to do.

“Over 60 percent said they feel safe in city parks, and we wished 100 percent of the people felt safe,” said Wendal Whisenhunt, the director of the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department.

Police said they already patrol parks and have heavy police presence in problem areas. The city is also changing the layouts of some parks to make the entrances easier for police to patrol.

“Some of the new parks are designed with the facilities grouped closer together, causing a greater feeling of security,” Whisenhunt said.

The same survey found that only 37 percent of those surveyed were happy with city pools. Whisenhunt said he hopes to raise that number by converting poorly attended pools into spray parks.