Seattle's parks get safety patrols

Cyril Ishem and Aaron Belt strolled through Westlake Park on Wednesday afternoon, nodding at the men and women on benches. Then they headed into the See's candy store to tell the two women behind the counter they'd be in the area a lot from now on.

Ishem and Belt are Seattle's first two park rangers. Armed only with khaki uniforms and the ability to bar violators of park laws, the rangers' purpose is to make downtown's parks feel safer.

Their first day was low-key.

At See's, the women said they would keep the rangers' number by the phone. The rangers strolled through the block-long park, then headed in their minivan to Victor Steinbrueck Park.

		Andy Rogers / P-I
	Ranger Aaron Belt patrols Westlake Park on his first day of duty in a new role to keep parks safe. The program costs the city $462,000.

Though park rangers may conjure images of tourists being warned not to feed the bears, the city's seven rangers will focus on downtown-area parks. Advocated by downtown businesses, they are not armed and can't issue citations.

Unlike police or downtown ambassadors -- those hired by the Downtown Seattle Association to patrol streets -- the rangers can bar rule violators, such as those drinking or sleeping in the parks, for a specified period.

Mostly, Victoria Schoenburg, the city's center city park administrator, said they're meant to reassure visitors wary of downtown parks.

On Wednesday, though, many in the parks the rangers will patrol were skeptical.

Eating a salad at Occidental Park in Pioneer Square, Derrick Jeffries said police officers already came by, and yet "there's a lot of activity." He pointed out a group by bocce ball courts in the park, which some neighbors say can be a haven for drug dealing. The rangers cost less than police officers, but Jeffries said he'd rather see more police in the parks.

Across the street from Victor Steinbrueck Park by Pike Place Market, Michael Teer, owner of the Pike & Western Wine shop, said, "I'm reserving judgment, but my first choice would have been more police."

In 2007, Steinbrueck Park had 133 drug arrests, 115 911 calls, two strong-armed robberies and one rape, according to city statistics.

Though Belt is a former police officer, he and Ishem said they'd call police if they saw a fight or robbery in progress.

The rangers do have self-defense training, and they said they're trained in de-escalating conflict and can offer referrals to social-service organizations.

In addition to Westlake, Occidental and Victor Steinbrueck parks, rangers will focus on City Hall (next to the King County Courthouse); Freeway, Hing Hay, Waterfront, South Lake Union and Cal Anderson parks; and Piers 62/63, and patrol several others around downtown. The program costs the city $462,000 in salaries, training and equipment.

Some homeless people worried they'd be targeted.

"It's OK if it's for safety, as long as it's not going to be about harassment," said Terrence Jones, who sat in the metal chairs Wednesday at Occidental Park with Raymond Frochetti.

Both men said they were homeless. "I'm fine with it as long as (the rangers) aren't going to be asking me what I'm doing when I'm not doing anything," Frochetti said.

Ishem said he did not want homeless people to feel that way. "Everybody has a right to be in the parks and enjoy the parks."