In day shift I would
observe people coming to the park to engage in the festivities surrounding the
park. From giving directions and watching people go on tours to night shift
where people are caught urinating, smoking and drinking on federal property at
all hours of the night.
I started
off the beginning of my week securing, checking doors, locking gates and
making sure people weren't engaging in any foul play around the park. Seeing
the park at night is a different atmosphere then during the day. Night time you're
more aware of your surroundings and able to see things in a different light. I
was able to witness my first public urination in a closed area contact with
three individuals who each denied that they had done it and resulted in each collecting
a citation. Ranger Keiffer helped assist while I observed them interact with
the individuals. Later on that night a woman appeared to be walking across the
park intoxicated and not able to walk straight. Ranger Keiffer with a few other
rangers made contact while I observed. Thee lady wanted to drive her car but
that could not happen due to her intake on alcohol; her uber was called and she
went home instead of getting behind the wheel. We even encountered a vehicle
being driven down the wrong side of a one way street. The person took the wrong
turn and ended up having to turn right back around to get on the right side.
Imagine headlights coming towards you on a one way. Day shift you encounter children taking tours or
people visiting from all over the world to enjoy the park .
The
following day I was able to shadow Ranger Dunlap. In our first
hour we were able to give out two citations. Citations are tickets you give a person
to pay within 30 days and if not paid then a court date is sent to their home
and they have the choice to fight the case and go before a judge. The first citation was given to two
individuals out of a group of four. One was laying in the grass with an open
beer cans wrapped in a brown paper bag. Ranger Dunlap then proceeded
to ask one guy if the container that was in arms reach of him
belonged to him, but he denied it. The second guy who had the container in his hand,
but did not deny it. This was very intriguing because they both were
issued a citation. However they had two different reactions; the first guy who
denied the can exercised his first amendment and continued to
the whole time of the interaction. He voiced that he did not own the beer can
and that it could be anyone's. The next guy was calm and understanding of
his actions, even was having a chat with Ranger Dunlap. Towards the end the
citations were handed to the guys and left.
The next
citation was a man caught smoking a brown burnt cigarette. He was very cooperative
and handed over all evidence in which case was 3 rolled brown
cigarettes. Ranger Dunlap seized the evidence and gave him his
citation and sent him on his way. I experienced how
to fluently detain and collect evidence. I was able to test and
weight the suspected evidence which came back positive for marijuana. We
then noted it in the records book, filled out the information
describing the evidence and secured it in a sealed bag before dropping it
inside the evidence box. That was a very eye opening experience to
seize, test and detain evidence. The amount of work you have to put
in is all worth it in the end to keep the park safe.
Night
shift is eventful and I actually prefer it over day shift. It is
definitely eventful and shows you what really happens when you leave the park
during the day.
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