Rangers get the OK to ride. Modesto starting pilot program for its parks, open space

Rangers should be patrolling Modesto’s parks by spring after the City Council on Tuesday approved an 18-month pilot program to address vandalism, drug use and other offenses in the parks.

They are not police officers, so they won’t carry guns or arrest anyone, but the four rangers can write citations for minor offenses, including drinking in public and illegal camping. Officials expect the rangers’ sustained, consistent presence will deter bad behavior and allow more residents to enjoy the parks.

Police Chief Brandon Gillespie has said the rangers will educate people about the rules and try to gain voluntary compliance before issuing citations. The rangers also will be ambassadors for the city and provide outreach and referrals to services for people who are homeless.

And as the Police Department faces tighter budgets each year, the park ranger program fits in with the department’s effort to use less expensive civilian workers to handle lower-level calls for services. That allows police officers to spend more time on higher-priority calls that only they can handle.

For instance, the Police Department last year launched its Community Health and Assistance Team (CHAT) to respond to lower-priority calls involving people who are homeless.

The park ranger pilot program drew concerns from one member of the public at Tuesday’s council meeting.

Maryann Spikes questioned how park rangers will respond to people sleeping in parks in light of a U.S. Circuit Court’s 2018 ruling against Boise, Idaho. The ruling stated Boise could not make it a crime for homeless people to sleep on public property when no alternative shelter is available. Boise appealed the ruling, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case in 2019, leaving the circuit court’s ruling in place.

Why not more help for homeless?

Spikes also questioned why Modesto is starting its park rangers program before starting safe camping and safe parking programs, providing places with services for homeless people to sleep in tents or in their vehicles. Modesto is working on starting a pilot safe parking program with 25 parking spaces. A city official has said a proposal could come to the City Council in spring.

Spikes asked why Modesto is not putting more resources into getting people off the streets and out of city parks.

Gillespie said the rangers will respond to people sleeping in city parks on a case-by-case basis and will follow the Boise court decision. He said that before an enforcement action is taken, the rangers will ensure there is an available shelter bed.

Councilman Chris Ricci said that not all problems in city parks can be attributed to people who are homeless. As examples, he cited prostitution in park bathrooms and people riding electric motorcycles at 50 mph through parks.

Ricci has consistently advocated for Modesto to start a park rangers program over the past several months. Councilman Tony Madrigal thanked Ricci at Tuesday’s meeting for his advocacy.

Modesto will spend as much as $623,708 in one-time federal pandemic relief money over the pilot program’s 18 months. That is $401,708 for the pay and benefits for four park rangers, $150,000 for the purchase of two extended-cab pickup trucks and $72,000 for training, equipment, overtime and supplies, according to a city report.

Ranger on duty every day

The Police Department will hire four police cadet IIs but train and equip them to work as park rangers. They will work full time. Gillespie has said the rangers will work independently and provide roughly 18 hours a day of coverage, seven days a week.

Gillespie also has said it could take two to three months to start the program once the City Council approved it.

Modesto has 76 parks, as well as trails and other open space. Gillespie has said the rangers will focus their efforts on the parks and other recreation areas that draw the most complaints.

Gillespie said in an interview before the council meeting that he expects to bring forward another proposal this spring to have two mental health clinicians paired with police officers to respond to calls involving mental health crises. He said the proposal includes expanding CHAT from four to six outreach workers and increasing the types of lower-priority calls they handle.

This proposal would first be vetted at a City Council committee before going to the full council for consideration.