If you’re out in one of Eden Prairie’s twenty-two parks this summer, you may see someone dressed in a green polo shirt and khaki pants biking or walking around answering questions and keeping an eye on park activities. These people are called Park Rangers and are hired by the Police Department each summer to patrol city parks, enforce ordinances, direct traffic, staff special events and complete minor maintenance tasks. Park Rangers are seasonal employees and are often students in local law enforcement programs.
Park Rangers at a Police Department Open House
The Department’s four Park Rangers play a valuable role in enforcement and education activities in the parks. For example, Park Rangers remind park patrons to keep dogs on leashes, manage parking complaints and violations and enforce other park ordinances. In addition, having Park Rangers patrol the City’s parks frees up the Department’s sworn officers to deal with more serious infractions.
