New Park Ranger Program
By Chris Murphy
One of the most important issues for the use of parks is safety. There are so many issues and problems that could create issues in our public spaces, so Modesto worked on a innovative alternative. Modesto Police Chief Brandon Gillespie and his team have created a new Park Ranger program that creates a new kind of officer that is matched to handle issues that may happen in our parks, and create a new kind of patrol that can engage with the people. Lieutenant Brian Kleiber and Captain Robert Reyna will be overseeing the program. Modesto City Councilperson Chris Ricci has been a champion for this program. We asked Chief Gillespie to tell us about the new program.
ModestoView: What are your hopes for the implementation of the Park Ranger Program?
Chief Gillespie: Our city strives to be an inviting and safe community with thriving neighborhoods. Ensuring city parks, open spaces, and trails are safe and attractive place for our citizens to enjoy helps achieve this vision. The Modesto Police Department responds to approximately 300-400 calls for service throughout the city each day and does not have the staffing resources to provide a sustained presence in city parks to conduct outreach and enforcement duties in an effort to connect individuals to services and abate illegal or prohibited activity. Police officers are dispatched to calls for service based on threat level and this can result in long delays for park calls since they are often related to low-level crimes and/or quality of life issues.
By implementing this Park Ranger Program we believe it will help achieve a sustained presence in our city parks, trails, and open spaces, and reduce illegal and unwanted behavior. Park Rangers duties will include but are not limited to:
• Provide a regular and sustained presence in any city parks
• Act as city ambassadors to the public
• Provide outreach and resources to those experiencing homelessness
• Educate community members on laws and local ordinances
• Enforce laws, city ordinances, and rules and regulations within city parks
• Work closely with community groups and city staff to identify issues, concerns, and trends in assigned areas
MV: How will they best be able to patrol the many areas and acres of our park areas?
CG: The Park Rangers will primarily use trucks to patrol our parks and open spaces but may also use electric bikes, foot patrol, or any other means that facilitate access to these areas.
MV: How can the community help with this important project.?
CG: The community can help by staying in contact with our Parks and Rec Department as well as the Police Department to keep us aware of what is going on in the parks. We can keep abreast of our community’s needs and develop the best response when citizens keep us informed by communicating with us through email, the GoModesto App, or our dispatch center to report problems. I also encourage our community to interact with the Park Ranger’s when they see them. Say hi, get to know them and let them know what is going on and how things are going.
