Park Ranger Program Dallas Park and Recreation Board November 1, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Park Ranger Program Dallas Park and Recreation Board November 1, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Park Ranger Program Dallas Park and Recreation Board November 1, 2018 Presentation Overview Purpose/Background/Overview/Hours of Operation Fiscal Year 17/18 Hot Spot/Routine Park Visits Fiscal Year 17/18 Total Park

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Park Ranger Program

Dallas Park and Recreation Board November 1, 2018

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SLIDE 2

Presentation Overview

  • Purpose/Background/Overview/Hours of Operation
  • Fiscal Year 17/18 “Hot Spot/Routine” Park Visits
  • Fiscal Year 17/18 Total Park Visits/Special Events
  • Partnership with Results (DPD/ACS/PKR)
  • Park Ranger Overview “Partnership with Results”
  • Comparisons & Information
  • Proposed Park Ranger Timeline/Next Steps

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Dallas Park & Recreation 2

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Park Ranger Program Purpose & Background

Park Ranger Purpose

  • To support the Department mission by providing efficient and

effective services to park visitors that embody public safety and security, while fostering environmental stewardship Park Ranger Background

  • 1986 - Park Police Program disbanded and merged with DPD
  • 2004 - Park Ambassadors hired as necessity for athletic field

reservations (rogue play, lights and gates)

  • 2014 - Park Ambassadors were switched to “Service Agents/Park

Rangers” due to:

  • A need for other park related assistance (alcohol consumption,

illegal vending, sleeping in public, loose dogs, parking on turf, etc.)

  • To be a liaison to other COD Departments and Park Maintenance

and Operations

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Dallas Park & Recreation 3

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Park Ranger Program Overview

  • Started in 2014
  • 9 Park Rangers
  • Area – Any of the 397 Parks located in the COD
  • Defensive Equipment – OC Spray (coming soon)
  • Citation Authority – Limited
  • Mode of transportation – Trucks, foot patrol and UTV (coming

soon)

  • Providing extra eyes and ears for PKR, DPD & COD

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Dallas Park & Recreation 4

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Park Ranger Hours of Operation

Summer (May – August)

  • Monday – Friday

1:30PM – 10PM

  • Saturday/Sunday

10AM – 6:30PM (ES) & 1:30PM – 10PM (LS) Spring/Fall (March/April/September/October/November)

  • Monday – Friday

11:30AM – 8PM

  • Saturday/Sunday

10AM – 6:30PM (ES) & 11:30AM – 8PM (LS) Winter (December – February)

  • Monday – Sunday

10:30AM – 7PM

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Dallas Park & Recreation 5

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Hot Spot and Routine Park Visits

Hot Spot Park Visits

  • Established based upon

reoccurring reports of infractions

  • 311 calls, City Council, Park

Board, Park Management and various calls or e-mails, etc.

  • Assigned to Park Rangers on a

daily basis and account for approximately 56% of Park Ranger visits.

  • As staffing increases so would the

number of Hot Spot Park visits

Routine Park Visits

  • Random daily park visits
  • Visited on a daily basis when

going to/from Hot Spot assignments

  • Account for approximately 44%
  • f Park Ranger visits.
  • As staffing increases so would

the number of routine park visits

Dallas Park & Recreation 6

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SLIDE 7

Fiscal Year 17/18 Park Visits

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522 635 646 793 588 541 553 786 1287 1230 1367 1223

Oct '17 Nov '17 Dec '17 Jan '18 Feb '18 Mar '18 Apr '18 May '18 Jun '18 Jul '18 Aug '18 Sept '18 # of Parks Visited (Hot Spot/Routine)

Dallas Park & Recreation

Total Park Visits = 10,171

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Special Events

8 Total Special Events attended =

36

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Collaboration with Results

Target

  • Park areas with consistent complaints and issues
  • f loose dog incidents

Program

  • 12 weeks (1 day per week/3 hrs. per day)

coordinated sweeps w/ DPD, ACS, and PKR personnel working together Results

  • In ONLY 36 hours; a total 57 citations were

issued encompassing a total of 94 violations

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Peer City Comparisons

10 9 21 55 42 53 43 38 150 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 Dallas Austin Houston San Antonio Denver* Phoenix San Diego

Number of Park Rangers

Total Park Rangers Total Park Police

*Includes part-time Park Rangers * 2016 Data

Dallas Park & Recreation

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Peer City Comparisons

$0.670 $1.30 $3.30 $1.50 $5.70 $0.000 $1.000 $2.000 $3.000 $4.000 $5.000 $6.000 $7.000 $8.000 Dallas Austin Houston Denver

Park Ranger Budget ($M)

Park Ranger Budget Park Police Budget Dallas Park & Recreation 11

*2016 Data

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Peer City Comparisons

397 308 375 330 200 340 44.1 5.2 6.8 7.9 3.8 7.9

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0 50.0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 Dallas Austin* Houston Denver Phoenix San Diego

Estimated Number of Parks

Total Parks Avg Number of Parks per Ranger

*Austin includes Park Police * 2016 Data

Dallas Park & Recreation 12

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Peer City Comparisons

13 2222 339 455 476 755 698 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Dallas Austin* Houston Denver Phoenix* San Diego*

Estimated Park Acreage (K)

Total Park Acreage Avg Number of Acres per Ranger

20K 20K 25K 20K 40K 30K

*Austin includes Park Police *Phoenix includes undeveloped acres *San Diego includes only areas of responsibility * 2016 Data

Dallas Park & Recreation

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Peer City Comparison Chart

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City Positions Number

  • f Parks
  • Est. Acreage

Budget Citation Authority Defensive Equipment DALLAS 9 397 20K $670K Yes (Limited) – Parking Citations and “Loose Dogs” next. Oleoresin (OC) Training/Spray only but not mandatory Austin 21 (+38 Park Police) 308 20K $1.3M ($5.7M Park Police Yes - Only Parking Citations Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) Spray only but not mandatory Houston 55 375 25K $3.3M Yes - Only Health

  • Dept. Ordinances
  • n Park Property

Batons Denver 42 330 20K $1.5M Yes - Only Park Rules on Park Property OC Spray, Ballistic Vests, Batons, only for self defense purposes Phoenix 53 200+ 40K – including undeveloped Unknown Yes - All City codes but only

  • n Park Property

Batons and OC Spray San Diego 43 340 41K – Only responsible for 30K Unknown Yes - Public Officer under the CA Penal Code OC Spray Optional

Dallas Park & Recreation

* 2016 Data

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Proposed Timeline

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Phase III (3-4 Years)

  • Dispatch & Radio

Communication w/ DPD Phase II (1-2 Years)

  • 8 Add’l Park Rangers
  • 1 Chief Park Ranger
  • Bike Patrol
  • DPD (OT) / Security

Officer Assistance Phase I (Current)

  • 9 Park Rangers
  • Limited Citation

Authority

  • Issue OC Spray

Dallas Park & Recreation

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Next Steps

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  • Continue building the program through additional

positions, additional trainings/certifications and

  • utreach
  • Continue developing partnerships with other City

Departments (Animal Care Services (ACS), Code, Dallas Police Dept. (DPD), Office of Homeless Solutions, Etc.)

  • Implementation of DPD (OT)/Security Officers to

provide greater coverage of parks citywide

  • Continue to explore new technologies to enhance park

security

Dallas Park & Recreation

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Park Ranger Program

Dallas Park and Recreation Board November 1, 2018