‘Not afraid of the challenges’

Newly appointed park ranger supervisor to balance enforcement, education

The city’s newest park ranger made it clear his division is not law enforcement.

That doesn’t mean Park Ranger Supervisor Michael Dobbs’ position isn’t authoritative — his powers include citing those violating municipal codes in city parks, which amounts to an infraction. He and 18 park rangers — who haven’t yet started on the job — will be armed with a baton and pepper spray.

City officials announced Dobbs would oversee the creation of the newest division, the park rangers. A Kern County resident since he was 11, Dobbs said he aims to build relationships with those occupying those public spaces — from children squealing down slides to the homeless occupying grassy fields.

“There’s no other program in the city that’s going to regularly get to know individuals over and over on a daily basis,” said Rick Anthony, the city’s parks and recreation director.

“And that’s the goal for them — to introduce themselves … to build some trust, as we disrupt some of the negative behaviors.”

THE PARK RANGER PROGRAM

After working at the Kern County Sheriff’s Office for about 24 years, Dobbs said he applied for the new opportunity because it intrigued him. The ability to create a new department, implement a culture and collaborate with other city departments enticed him to apply.

There’s a certain level of balance between enforcement and education his department must maneuver, he added. Eliminating encampments, vandalism and drug use are top priorities for him so residents flock toward the parks in greater numbers.

“I don’t want … people (to) dread running into us,” Dobbs said.

Anthony added an employee’s outlook for this department must not be intimidation or harm. They must treat everyone with dignity, respect and compassion, which will hopefully lead to changes in

the parks. Dobbs was the best fit for this job because he understood this vision, he added.

“He’s not afraid of the challenges,” Anthony said. “He’s not afraid just because he doesn’t quite know or understand all the complexities of the city yet.”

The creation of this new division was made possible by unanticipated revenues generated through Measure N, the city’s one-cent sales tax, totaling to $22 million. The Bakersfield City Council approved the program in March, costing millions of dollars per year, while passing a slate of other items. Fully implementing the park ranger program was contingent upon its logistics being fleshed out at a Safe Neighborhoods & Community Relations meeting.

The division will have 19 park rangers and one administrative analyst. Anthony said in a phone interview Friday the lowest paid employee will earn roughly $57,000. According to a March City Council presentation about park ranger salaries, each park ranger will earn $118,053 with benefits.

Dobbs’ salary will be $158,114 with benefits per year, according to the presentation. The administrative analyst will earn $116,582 with benefits annually. Salaries and perks will amass to $2.399 million. The department will also have 10 trucks, equipment and one-time costs for furniture.

Ryan Alsop, the county’s chief administrative officer, wrote in an email that there are 19 park rangers under the county program, who are all Peace Officer Standards and Training certified. They have training to carry weapons, and all but one person is “armed,” he noted. Their pay ranges from $41,000 to $79,000 annually, Alsop wrote.

Anthony said 16 park ranger job offers have been made, and they could start by mid-September. Patrols will start in November after each person undergoes training. The administrative analyst has already been hired, he noted.

These rangers will not be certified through the Peace Officer Standards and Training, which is an exam law enforcement officers must pass. Anthony said the city created its own “mini academy,” which will teach de-escalation methods and critical incident training treatment when encountering mentally ill people. Dobbs added everyone must be certified under penal code 832, which outlines information about arrests and firearms.

Both agree everyone must also know about each nonprofit and services offered to homeless people because the goal is to get the unhoused population into those services.

Council members debated adding body-worn cameras and providing tasers to personnel at the Safe Neighborhoods & Community Relations meeting in April. This issue will be examined by City Manager Christian Clegg after six months, according to the minutes of that committee meeting.

Bakersfield Police Department officers will be called if a situation escalates beyond the powers of the rangers, Dobbs said.

Rangers will be on duty seven days a week, with the morning shift starting at 6 a.m. and the afternoon shift starting at 2 p.m. until midnight. With 62 city parks to cover, rangers will also target amenities with a history of encampments and vandalism with frequent patrols.

But every park will get patrol — meaning drivebys and walking around to meet users in person — at least weekly, Anthony said. The parks director noted this plan could change after seeing what works and what doesn’t.

In preparation for the role, Dobbs drove to every city park. He noted Pride parades, Juneteenth celebrations and sports games all were being enjoyed because of these public spaces. Returning parks to this place is part of his goal, he said.

Many residents have complained to City Council members about the safety of the parks and noted encampments take over playgrounds. The city’s code enforcement officers undertook encampment clearances and conducted one Friday at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. City officials have said the belongings of homeless people can be retrieved within 30 days before they’re tossed out.

Dobbs will partner with code enforcement and BPD officers to conduct such operations, he added. Encampments are a zoning violation and can become a curfew violation when people stay in parks past 10 p.m.

Vicente Astorga thinks these enforcements are ineffective. After living on the streets for five years, he said he has gotten thrown out of MLK Park about four to five times a month but keeps coming back — just like everyone else.

The 48-year-old said he has tried living in a homeless shelter but he doesn’t like the restrictions to his freedoms. But, he doesn’t want to be homeless. Kicking his drug habit will hopefully lead him to get into shelter and keep it, Astorga said.

Astorga added it’s completely understandable the city wants to clean its parks. But, homeless people get all the blame when other users litter too, he said.

“It’s supposed to be trash,” Astorga said. “But, it’s my trash. It’s what I use.”