SR-202-003 (2)
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'Z-P'Z-003
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city council Meeting: 9/23/86
Santa Monica, California
TO:
Mayor and City Council
city Staff
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Recommendation to Approve an Appropriation of $44,924 for
Expansion of the Park Ranger Program.
Introduction
On September 9th council directed staff to provide an analysis of the
merits of expanding the Park Ranger Program to include year-round daily
patrol of Palisades Park and possible expansion of the patrol to certain
other City parks. The following outlines the criteria to be considered for
expanding the program and makes recommendations regarding program
expansion.
Backqround
The objectives of the summer Park Ranger Program in Palisades Park were to
help enforce park rules and to provide additional visible security for Park
users. Based on the positive pUblic response, it would appear that the
program achieved its objectives. Factors which have contributed to the
success of the program include: the quality of the Park Ranger personnel
who are particularly adept at working with Park users; the assignment of
Police officers to the Park; and the prompt response by Police to the Park
Rangers' calls for assistance.
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SEP 2 3 1986
Discussion
A) continued Full-Time Coveraqe of Palisades Park
During the summer months, at least one Park Ranger was on duty daily
between the hours of 10 a.m. and a p.m.
Two Rangers worked together on
weekday afternoons and evenings and on weekends.
Due to the somewha t
lighter use of Palisades Park during non-summer months, staff believes that
the assignment of one Ranger to the Park each weekday from 9 a.m. to sunset
will provide sufficient coverage, while two Rangers will continue to be
deployed from 9 a.m. to sunset on weekends.
The cost of the non-summer Park Ranger program in Palisades Park as
proposed above would be as follows:
Pro~osed Service
Cost
A) Weekends and holidays only beginning
October 1 through May 31 (asssumes 74
weekend days and holidays using two
as-needed Rangers each day on 8-hour
shifts).
$ 13,487
B) Additional non-summer weekday patrol
beginning October 1 through May 31
(assumes 165 weekdays using one
as-needed Ranger each day on an a-hour
shift)
TOTAL
$ 15,035
$ 28,522
B) Expansion of Park Ranqer Service to other city Parks
A decision regarding expansion of the Park Ranger program to include
coverage of certain other city Parks should be based on an assessment of
the particular positive roles Park Rangers can play and the usefulness of
this type of personnel in meeting the unique enforcement and security needs
of individual parks. The particular problems of several City Parks are
outlined below along with the specific needs a Park Ranger patrol could
potentially fulfill.
Clover:
Douglas:
Joslyn:
Lincpln:
Marine:
Park Characteristics
heavy afternoon and evening
usage; soccer/baseball/tennis;
large group activity~ children
riding bicycles~ lunch ti~e
picnics
heavy late morning to dusk
usage: tot lot; community
building; lunch-time picnics;
homeless
light to moderate usaqe~ tot
lot; community building;
homeless
heavy usage mid-day; tot lot~
tennis courts - evening;
community building; senior
nutrition program; homeless
heavy usage noon through
evening; baseball/football/
soccer; community building;
tot lot: large group activity
Potential Role of Park Ranqer
policing of potentially
conflicting sports activity
in afternoon and evening
- park rules enforcement
- monitoring of large group
picnic activity
permit users security
- tot lot patrol during heavy
usage hours
- regular patrol to discourage
threatening activity
- permit users security
- tot lot patrol
- regular patrol to discourage
threatening activity
- permit users security
- tot lot patrol
- visible security for senior
citizens
- regular patrol to discourage
threatening activity
- permit users security
- policing of sports activity
- park rules enforcement
- tot lot patrol
- monitoring of large group
activity
Memorial: heavy usage morning through
evening; tennis/ballfields/
gym; senior nutrition program;
homeless feeding program;
large group activity
security for gym users
- policing of sports activity
- senior citizen security
- monitoring of large group
activity
- regular patrol to discourage
threatening activity
Based on the needs outlined above, staff recommends that expansion of the
Park Ranger program to other City Parks include the use of one roving Park
Ranger assigned to a six hour shift each week day and an eight hour shift
would be as follows:
each weekend day and holiday. The cost of the proposed expanded program
Roving Ranqer - CloverjDouqlas/Joslyn/Lincoln/MarinejMemorial
A) Use of one roving Park ranger to
patrol all five parks every weekend
and holiday from October 1 through
June 30 (assumes 82 weekend days and
holidays; one Ranger on a 8-hour
shift).
B) Additional weekday coverage from
October 1 through June 30 (assumes
185 weekdays; one Ranger on a 6-hour
shift).
C) Mileage
TOTAL
$ 7,472
$ 8,430
$ 500
$ 16,402
BUdqet/Fiscal ImDact
The total additional cost for proposed full-time, year-round coverage of
Palisades Park and use of a roving Ranger to patrol other City Parks would
be $44,924.
Recommendation
staff recommends that the City council appropriate $44,924 from the General
Fund Reserve to Account 01-400-511-000-150 to expand the Park Ranger
Program
and
$500
from
the
General
Fund
Reserve
to
Account
01-400-511-000-272 for mileage reimbursement for the roving Park Ranger.
PREPARED BY: Don Arnett, Director of Recreation and Parks
Doug Stafford, Park Superintendent
Julia Griffin, Senior Management Analyst
(prkrange)