Lieutenant Bollar reported to the Parks and Recreation Commission on Dec. 11 that city police prioritize park safety but face manpower and park-ranger shortfalls.

"We are currently assisting Mr. Massey with hiring more park rangers," Bollar said. He told commissioners the police department is short on park-ranger staffing but is moving to hire one more full-time ranger and four part-time rangers in the near term; currently the city has one full-time and one part-time ranger on staff.

Bollar provided calls-for-service figures for the park system year-to-date: 228 calls at Southgate Park, 89 at Holly Dale Regional Park, and smaller counts at other neighborhood sites. He said officers and rangers coordinate with LA County Public Works and Union Pacific to conduct outreach and cleanups in riverbed and railroad right-of-way areas.

Commissioners and staff discussed recurring issues raised by residents, including smoking, unpermitted gambling and wire theft at Circle Park. Staff said an increased visible security presence and targeted flyer distribution reduced some nuisance behavior in recent weeks; commissioners asked staff to continue strategic scheduling so rangers and security are present during peak evening hours.

The commission received the report and voted to place it on file. No budgetary decisions were made at the meeting; staff said the hiring plan for additional rangers will be pursued within available staffing and budget contingencies.