What's happening
This bill requires a minimum number of full-time state park police officers and mandates staffing plans for new park sites in New York.
Why it matters
Sets a specific minimum number (385) of full-time state park police officers statewide. , which could lead to increased public safety, more consistent law enforcement presence, and potentially higher employment in the state park police force.
Distributes officers based on regional attendance levels over five years. , aligning staffing with actual park usage patterns and potentially improving the allocation of public safety resources where they’re most needed.
Requires legislative review of staffing plans before new parks or similar facilities can open. , making it less likely that new sites will be understaffed and holding the state accountable for maintaining safety standards as park systems expand.
Allows officer redeployment across regions only in defined emergencies. , ensuring regular police coverage is predictable and stable for visitors, while still permitting flexibility in crisis situations.
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Who cares
State parks commissioner
The bill would require at least 385 permanently appointed, full-time regional state park police officers, allocated among regions according to their share of five-year average attendance.
Regional state park police officers
The bill would allow redeployment outside their assigned regions in cases of natural disasters, declared emergencies and mass casualty incidents.
State legislators
They would receive a police staffing plan demonstrating sufficient coverage before the commissioner could open a new state park, beach, campground, historic site or concert venue.
Visitors to state parks and recreation sites
The bill would require minimum police staffing intended to protect their health, safety and welfare at facilities under the commissioner's jurisdiction.
Headline styles
Set Minimum Park Police
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
- Referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Park Police Staffing
In Senate Committee · Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation · Sponsor Patrick M. Gallivan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5191
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 7, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. RAMOS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development
AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to police staffing at certain parks
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 3.07 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law is amended by adding three new subdivisions 3, 4 and 5 to read as follows:
3. The commissioner shall provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public using facilities under its jurisdiction, which shall include ensuring a minimum staff of three hundred eighty-five permanently appointed, full time regional state park police officers at state parks, beaches, campgrounds, historic sites and concert venues. The number of regional state park police officers deployed to each region shall be equivalent to the percentage of each region's five year attendance average.
4. The commissioner shall not open a new state park, beach, campground, historic site or concert venue unless it submits a staffing plan to the legislature that demonstrates there is a sufficient number of regional state park police to provide adequate and appropriate delivery of police services to patrons visiting the new site.
5. The commissioner may redeploy regional state park police officers outside of their assigned region in the case of an emergency. Emergencies are defined as natural disasters, declared emergencies and mass casualty incidents.
§ 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02707-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.