Park Rangers
Mission
The mission of the Springfield Park Rangers is to provide Public Safety, preserve, protect the Tranquility of open space, including all its natural habitants and vegetation, waterways and to encourage passive recreation to all who visit the City of Springfield's natural splendors, its Public Parks
Park Ranger Administration | |
| Chief | Joseph F. Luvera |
| Captain | Kimberly Demerski |
History
The Springfield Park Rangers were established in 1990 by the Board of Park Commission, by virtue of authority delegated under Chapter 45 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
We currently serve one commission, the Springfield Park Board of Commissioners. Park Rangers currently work 7 days a week approximately 16 hours per day in the height of the summer months and each Ranger in order to keep up his/her membership is obligated to volunteer 10 hours or more per week. Park Rangers also have the responsibility for providing Public Safety during Park Events.
Other accomplishments include:
- Instituting a fee system at the City of Springfield's largest Park.
- Reducing vandalism 98 % yielding a savings of $79,000 per year.
- $140,000 in fines issued since 1990 in order to enforce Park Rules and Regulations.
- Protect 11 million dollars in restoration projects based on security provided by the Park Rangers.
- Have assisted several Western Mass communities in developing positive park programs.
- 50% success rate on Park Rangers going on to other Law Enforcement careers.
- Office and dispatch system on computer networking system, as well as report writing and all incidents logged into networking system.
- Finally, both elderly and families now are returning to the City's Crown Jewel, Forest Park because of the Rangers presence in this 730 acres of open space.
Jurisdiction
Park Rangers work and have jurisdiction in all 43 parks and numerous other properties owned or maintained by the Park and Recreation Department of the city of Springfield. The primary duty is the preservation of open space, public safety and law enforcement duties.
This volunteer force uses public information and education to accomplish goals along with more traditional law enforcement techniques. Officers can make arrests, issue criminal complaints from the courts and issue citations for violations of park rules and regulations and city ordinances. Not only do the rangers enforce park related violations but also Massachusetts General Law, Environmental Laws, and Federal Law pertaining to the city parks.
We are a small but a high profile law enforcement department within Massachusetts. Park Rangers have assisted other cities and towns to start or expand park law enforcement / security within the commonwealth. All rangers are sworn Massachusetts Law Enforcement Officers, attend annual in-service training with the Springfield Police Department, plus Park Rangers are required to complete 30 hours of in-house training yearly.
To report any problem at any city park of Springfield, Mass notify ranger headquarters dispatch/communications at
(413) 787-6450 Emergency only 911
(413) 750-2238 Administration