[BCNnet] Dog park issues

[judymellin]

I hope that folks at our FPDCC might contact the DuPage folks about the
statement, "What has probably risen most is the number of dog incidents," he
said. "There was a public outcry for more dog training areas, so the
district put them in, and that created additional problems."

It should be valuable to know about the problems so "close to home" as the
evaluation process on possibly expanding these in Cook County goes forward.
Some conservation groups might want to look into this, too, and everyone who
has not written a letter to the commissioners and the FPDCC might want to
think about it.  The evaluation/recommendation is due to the commissioners
in June so time is running short.

Judy Mellin

Subject: FW: Where cops are also outdoor educators


> From Thursday 4/8/04 Tribune (highlighting is mine)
> --------------------
> Where cops are also outdoor educators
> --------------------
>
> New forest ranger chief looks at role
>
> By Lynn Van Matre
> Tribune staff reporter
>
> April 8, 2004
>
> As head of law enforcement for the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources,
> Thomas Wakolbinger oversaw conservation police operations at more than 100
> parks and fish and wildlife areas throughout the state.
>
> Now, the 27-year Department of Natural Resources veteran has narrowed his
> focus to DuPage County, where he recently took over as law enforcement
> director for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District.
>
> "This seemed like a natural move," said Wakolbinger, 50, who retired from
> the state department last year. "When I think about the similarities
between
> the two jobs, I doubt I could find a better fit."
>
> He knows that the public often doesn't have a clear picture of what a
> ranger--whether in state parks or local preserves--does.
>
> "People wonder if they're `real' policemen," he said. "And people often
> don't know they can answer lots of questions about the environment. Every
> contact between ranger police and the public is an opportunity for
> education."
>
> DuPage's more than 60 preserves, which attract 1.5 million visitors
> annually, are patrolled by 25 sworn ranger police officers who carry guns
> and can make arrests.
>
> The district also maintains a program in which trained volunteers patrol
> trails in pairs and report problems or suspicious activity to law
> enforcement. An open house for anyone interested in learning more about
the
> program is scheduled from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday at forest preserve
> headquarters, 3S580 Naperville Rd. in Wheaton.
>
> Last year, officers responded to nearly 5,000 incidents, according to
Ranger
> Police Lt. Rick Haake. Rangers made 110 arrests and issued 1,005 citations
> and 2,086 warnings.
>
> Many arrests--39--were for incidents elsewhere for which warrants had been
> issued. Other top categories were drug-related incidents, 21 arrests, and
> public indecency, 13.
>
> Among other actions, officers also issued 512 warnings for fishing
> violations; 245 warnings to adults drinking alcohol in preserves; and 232
> warnings to dog owners who failed to control their pets. After a second
> warning, offenders may receive a citation, which could require a court
> appearance and fine.
>
> Haake said the 2003 statistics were "pretty similar" to those reported in
> previous years.
>
> "What has probably risen most is the number of dog incidents," he said.
> "There was a public outcry for more dog training areas, so the district
put
> them in, and that created additional problems."
>
> Haake attributed the district's low crime rates to its evolving patrol
> system and the fact that alcohol has been prohibited since the mid-1970s.
>
> "When I started 23 years ago, [ranger police] were walking and driving,"
> Haake said. "Now we could be riding bikes or driving ATVs, or patrolling
on
> snowmobiles or even in boats. We can get to areas that people might think
> would be isolated.
>
> "And banning alcohol certainly paid dividends," he said. "We don't have to
> deal with drunks who get `beer muscles' and want to mess with people."
>
> District spokesman Bill Weidner, who worked as a ranger in the 1970s and
> 1980s, agreed.
>
> "We still struggle with some alcohol and drug arrests, but those problems
> aren't as prevalent as they once were," Weidner said. "And after alcohol
was
> banned, we saw a lot more families in the preserves."
>
> At one time, few rangers carried guns or made arrests.
>
> "When I started in 1975, most rangers weren't sworn officers," Weidner
said.
> "We were supposed to enforce regulations by urging people to comply
> voluntarily. If things got out of control, we could call in one of the two
> sworn officers who roamed the preserves, but you weren't sure you could
get
> help in time.
>
> "The scariest thing was going up to people alone at night when they were
> armed and you weren't," Weidner said. "They might be hunting or target
> shooting with semiautomatic rifles, and there was that split second where
> you weren't sure what they were going to do."
>
> The current system was instituted in the 1980s with the creation of a
ranger
> police division. (Other rangers, called site rangers, have management
> responsibilities at preserves but are not part of law enforcement.)
>
> As head of police, Wakolbinger said one of his goals is "to ensure that
> everybody we come in contact with feels that it has been a positive
> experience."
>
> Make that almost everybody.
>
> "Obviously, somebody who commits a crime and gets hauled off to jail will
> not consider it a positive experience," Wakolbinger said. "But ordinary
> preserve users will feel more secure. The goal is to make sure everybody
can
> safely enjoy what the preserves have to offer."
>
>
> Copyright (c) 2004, Chicago Tribune
>
> --------------------
>