Title
Parks Safety Update
Description
This report provides an update on safety in City of Phoenix parks and includes information on trespass authority.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
The mission of the Parks and Recreation Department is to build healthy communities through parks, programs and partnerships, and make Phoenix a better place to live, visit and play. With one of the largest parks systems in the nation, the City provides residents and visitors with more than 41,000 acres of desert parks and mountain preserves with more than 200 miles of trails; 186 parks; and much more. Parks provide open space and opportunities for recreation. However, many parks continue to face challenges.
On Dec. 4, 2023, the Parks and Recreation staff presented information to the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee (Subcommittee) about on-going efforts to help provide safe and accessible parks to the public. During the meeting, members requested follow-up information specifically related to trespass authority on park property, Park Rangers and Security Services.
Trespass Authority on Park Property
At the PSJ Subcommittee’s direction, Parks and Recreation staff have worked with Police and Law staff to confirm police officers can trespass individuals on park property without the permission of a park employee. The Police Department has already been trespassing individuals in parks outside of park hours. To assist police officers with trespassing individuals during park hours, Parks and Police staff have established a temporary method to share the Parks and Recreation Department’s trespass list with the Police Department and communicate information about individuals who have been trespassed from City parks. This information will be made accessible to police officers. Simultaneously, staff from both Departments are working with the City’s Information Technology Services (ITS) staff on a longer-term solution to provide this information to police officers more seamlessly.
Park Rangers
Park Rangers assist daily in the proactive education of park rules and enforcement of the Code of Conduct Policy. Criminal citations for violations of City Code ordinances or trespass notices through the Parks and Recreation Department's Code of Conduct are issued, when necessary. Common code of conduct violations Park Rangers address includes loitering in the park after hours, illegal vending, shopping carts on park property, dogs off-leash, smoking, use of park amenities outside their intended purpose, litter and criminal activity that requires assistance from Police.
The Parks and Recreation Department is fortunate to have a team of 42 Urban Park Rangers dedicated to patrolling the 186 flatland urban parks throughout the City. To further enhance park safety, the Department hired 15 additional Park Ranger and supervisory positions to create an overnight Park Ranger team. Third-shift Park Rangers patrol parks between 8:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. The overnight Park Rangers were hired July of 2023 and officially began overnight patrols following their training on Sept. 11, 2023.
When combining patrols for all three Urban Park Ranger shifts, Urban Park Rangers visit an average of 185 parks each month and visit an average of 51 parks daily. While the work of all Park Rangers is valuable, third-shift Park Rangers have made a significant impact in the parks. Along with enforcing park closure hours and other Code of Conduct violations, over 2,500 overnight educational contacts have been made by the third-shift Park Rangers to address code of conduct violations in parks. Consequently, maintenance staff have observed a decrease in vandalism and an enhancement in the cleanliness of select parks during the morning hours. Several factors can influence the number of parks visited in a typical day including the complexity of issues at a park on a given night, number of Park Rangers on duty, vacancies, and traffic conditions between park visits. The third-shift Urban Park Ranger team faces more significant staffing challenges due to a higher-than-normal turnover rate, further impacting the number of Park Rangers on duty overnight.
Park Rangers also routinely collaborate with various City entities, including the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS), Police Department (PD) and other City departments. These coordinated efforts have led to improvements within park locations experiencing negative activities.
Additionally, the Parks and Recreation staff are pursuing the implementation of a third-party operator to receive calls from residents regarding park activity 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Information will be relayed to Park Rangers on duty and Park Rangers will prioritize calls and be able to respond. This service is projected to launch in Spring 2024. The one-year pilot enables staff to evaluate the effectiveness of the service and offers an opportunity to adjust for a long term contract based on insights gained during the trial period.
Security Services
In an effort to further address negative behaviors in parks, Parks and Recreation staff began implementation of overnight Security Services in February 2023 at the following 12 park locations:
- Cesar Chavez Park
- Cholla Trail
- Cielito Park
- Cortez Park
- El Oso Park
- Los Olivos Park
- Perry Park
- Pierce Park
- Maryvale Park
- Paradise Valley Park
- Sunnyslope Park
- Washington Park
Between February 2023 and February 2024, security personnel have made contact with over 16,250 people at the 12 park locations. Security personnel most commonly educate individuals on the code of conduct, address individuals in the park after hours, report excessive trash, vandalism and maintenance concerns to park staff and seek assistance from Park Rangers, police and fire for assistance as needed. Since the implementation of Security Services, Finance staff conducted a solicitation process for citywide Security Services, which allows City departments to choose from four different security providers. At the request of the Subcommittee members, staff identified key differences between the four providers. An analysis of the four providers was conducted comparing factors such as body-worn camera systems, security personnel training, data reporting capabilities, and overall cost.
Body Worn Cameras
In January 2024, the City of Phoenix Finance Department’s Procurement Division staff sent all four providers a questionnaire to determine the ability of each provider to provide body worn camera services and if so, what if any additional costs would be for equipment and data storage. Based on answers provided, all four providers have experience utilizing body worn cameras and do have the ability to provide that service. Surveillance Security, Inc., Allied Universal, and Superior Protection Services would provide body worn cameras with an expense for equipment and data storage in addition to contracted rates. Windom Security Strategies Today, LLC would provide body worn cameras with no additional costs for equipment or data storage.
Additionally, providers were queried about their protocols for reviewing and preserving camera footage. Windom Security Strategies Today, LLC mandates recording all public interactions, with random reviews for accountability. They review footage for all incidents and store it on evidence.com for a minimum of two years. Allied Universal and Superior Protection Services solely review footage for incidents. Allied Universal adapts their retention policy as per the City's needs, while Superior Protection Services downloads body-worn camera data daily. Surveillance Security, Inc. did not provide further details.
Security Personnel Training
As required by ARS section 32-2613 and ARS section 32-2632, security personnel must undergo training, with eight hours required for unarmed guards. All personnel from the four providers meet or surpass these requirements. Based on responses from the security providers, training for security personnel varies among all four with Windom Security Strategies Today, LLC noting the highest number of mandated minimum hours of training.
Data Reporting Abilities
All four security providers utilize cloud-based software for data reporting via mobile apps. Surveillance Security, Inc., Windom Security Strategies Today, LLC, and Superior Protection Services employ TrackTik software. Allied Universal utilizes their proprietary HELIAUS application, customizable to the City's needs. Each provider noted they are able to provide real-time reporting through dashboards.
Cost
Contracted rates and structures differ between providers and generally encompass hourly wages for security personnel and vehicle charges. Based on rates included in the recently executed citywide security services contract, Superior Protection Services would be the most costly option and Windom Security Strategies Today, LLC would be the least and most cost effective option.
Ongoing Efforts to Enhance Park Safety
The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to provide clean, safe and accessible parks to the public and will continue to utilize a variety of methods to enhance park safety. In addition to the implementation of overnight Park Rangers and Security Services, Parks and Recreation staff continue to focus on enhancing park activation efforts through mobile recreation programs, special events and partnerships with outside organizations. Additionally, in November 2023, the Parks and Recreation Board awarded over $300,000 in funding to 47 organizations who will activate 37 parks with meaningful programs and events as part of the ARPA Neighborhood Park Activation Grant Program.
Parks and Recreation staff also recently installed temporary security cameras at Cortez and Perry Parks to help deter ongoing negative activities in those parks. The implementation of temporary Security Cameras represents an additional measure in enhancing park safety. These mobile solar-powered devices feature four cameras with 360-degree coverage and backup power capabilities. The services encompass 24 hour recording with a 15-day storage capacity, after-hours live monitoring from SentraCam's Network Operations Center, a 24/7 customer support line, remote access to the cameras via smartphone or desktop and daily audit report emails detailing detected movements.
As part of the Parks Master Plan, Parks and Recreation staff will be assessing 29 parks for crime prevention strategies through Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) evaluations. CPTED focuses on strategies and recommendations to improve park environments to prevent crime and increase safety in our parks. Examples of strategies range from activating parks, enhancing landscapes, improved lighting, and designed marked pathways and maintenance.
The Parks and Recreation staff remain steadfast in their commitment in enhancing park safety. By prioritizing proactive measures, fostering community engagement, and adopting innovative strategies, staff continually strive to ensure that the City of Phoenix parks system remains welcoming, safe, and enjoyable spaces for all.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager John Chan and the Parks and Recreation Department.