Park police: A dual role of manager and protector

A growing number of recreation districts statewide fund security departments to handle a variety of responsibilities.

By Todd Owings

"It's not even safe for the kids to go to the park anymore," cried the mother of a three-year-old boy shot during a Florida gun battle in the neighborhood park.

The Associated Press article included a statement from the victim's father indicating ". . . this wasn't the kind of neighborhood where you'd expect someone to be shot. ... It is quiet, near a school, just an ordinary residential area."

Every year a growing number of newspaper reports describe crime incidents that took place throughout the country.

Special police forces

Police forces in park and recreation districts are becoming the rule rather than the exception. Many areas that once were considered crime-free are now forced to fund large security departments to prevent property damage.

Having a security department is often a mixed blessing. While it is beneficial to have rangers on call, a security force can decrease the amount of funds spent on actual recreational programs.

One solution

The DuPage County Forest Preserve District is a good example of how a need for security can be turned into a profit for the community. The district, which covers more than 17,500 acres, has an annual law enforcement and operations budget exceeding $1 million. Its officers handle both law enforcement and operations.

"Rangers are not only police officers, but they are also managers of all our recreation sites," explained William Mikonis, superintendent of law enforcement and operations.

"The rangers oversee all the fee collections and reservations, and manage campgrounds, swim areas, boat launch areas and so forth."

This plan, Mikonis says, helps keep the rangers involved in the forest preserve district. It also helps visitors feel safer and more informed. In the event of a crime, an officer is nearby to act in the district's best interest. As a result, the police force is treated as a respected resource rather than as a white elephant.

Common problems

The types of law enforcement problems encountered by the DuPage County Forest Preserve District police are common to much of the State. Alcohol and drug abuse top the list. They are followed closely by vandalism and damage from four-wheel drive vehicles.

According to Mikonis, the types of crimes don't change much each year, but the people involved are very different.

"In the early years of the office, the kids who abused alcohol and drugs were there to rebel," Mikonis noted. "Today kids are doing this for their own sake."

Mikonis maintains his department's morale through a management policy focusing on fairness.

"If officers are being trained well . . . paid a competitive salary . . . not subject to excessive harassment, provided promotional opportunity . . . convinced there is an interest in their safety . . . and treated fairly, you have good morale," he said.

"It's a lot of little things. I don't think a token gesture such as a suggestion box would cut it."

For Mikonis, management is crucial. He feels any plan will work if management decisions are clear and logical. However, he also believes that a manager must concern himself with his own development and "do what he feels is right."

The DuPage police force

The DuPage County Forest Preserve has 25 full-time sworn officers, a fully equipped computer center and squad cars. However, law enforcement personnel do not have any ticket quotas and always try talking with rulebreakers before taking any enforcement action.

The rangers are grouped in several divisions according to qualifications and responsibilities:

• Site operations are the backbone of the law enforcement force. These personnel live on district property and cover a sector in two-man teams.

• Ranger assistants are training to be rangers and work in non-law enforcement activities. They occasionally help during an arrest, but most often work in conservation.

• Tactical rangers are the traditional law enforcement officers who aid in arrests and prisoner transports.

• Support rangers run the police computer, dispatch officers and handle paper work and facility reservations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Todd Owings is a student intern with the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) through May. He will graduate from high school in June.

Illinois Parks and Recreation                                 29                                                        May/June 1985