Crime growing in parks

Published online on Saturday, Sep. 26, 2009

Crime in California's state parks has more than doubled over the past decade, outpacing growth in the statewide crime rate and in park use, according to a review of park crime data by The Bee.

There were 58,475 criminal incidents in California's 279 state parks in 2008, or an average of 160 every day, according to crime data obtained from the state Department of Parks and Recreation. The crime rate rose from 35 crimes per 100,000 visitors in 1999 to 75 last year.

From simple trespassing to theft of artifacts, park crime has been raised as a leading concern as the state prepares to close more parks on weekdays -- or for entire seasons -- to address a budget crisis.

State Parks Department officials blame the increase largely on urbanization pushing up against park borders.

Other park advocates say years of tight budgets have left parks inadequately patrolled by rangers. As park use increased 20% in the past decade -- to 79 million people -- the number of rangers remained flat.

One particular crime category -- crimes against the parks themselves, ranging from vandalism to illegal tree cutting -- increased fivefold in the 10 years of data analyzed by The Bee.

Just two weeks ago, rangers discovered a 50,000- plant marijuana garden covering an area the size of a football field inside Cuyamaca Rancho State Park in San Diego County.

Earlier this month, a team of volunteers at Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley labored to rebuild 80-year-old leaded glass windows that had been shot out with BB guns.

If such willful abuse of public resources is difficult to prevent now, how will rangers protect parks that can't be sealed off on days when they're closed? Will such crimes become more common with reduced staffing and park hours? "I could easily see the stripping of our state parks," said Richard Bergstresser, president of the State Park Peace Officers Association and a ranger at Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

"There will be an uptick in, for instance, marijuana plantations, vandalism, outright theft."

Rangers' role has changed

The crime data put hard numbers on a change that gradually has overtaken the parks: The ranger's traditional dual role as protector and educator has all but vanished. Rangers now spend virtually all of their time chasing troublemakers, and almost none educating the public about California's natural wonders.

This was clear during a recent Friday night patrol in the park system's Santa Cruz District, when Ranger Scott Sipes detained a group of six young adults at Seacliff State Beach.

Rather than tell them about dolphins that frolic in the marine sanctuary offshore, or the historic concrete ship beached off the end of the pier, he had to bust the group for violating park rules.

All were underage, in possession of alcohol and glass containers on the beach, and trespassing after the 10 p.m. park closure. In the end, only one was cited; the rest received warnings.

"When you come to the beach, all I urge you to do is follow the regulations for the enjoyment of other visitors," Sipes told them.

The decade of crime data indicated alcohol incidents in state parks have tripled.

Rescues of injured or trapped visitors grew nearly threefold over the past decade, and cases involving lost visitors doubled.

The state Parks Department has said that even when parks technically are closed, day-use visitors such as hikers, mountain bikers and bird watchers will be allowed.

"Some people are going to lose their lives because rangers aren't in parks. I'm not being too dramatic," Bergstresser said. "My own experience is that a closed park needs more law enforcement than an open park."