At a recent board meeting, held at Sharon Woods Metro Park, the Board of Park Commissioners recognized three Park Rangers with their commissions as Peace Officers.
Rebecca Ballard, Erin Flannery and Daniel Saul recently completed the training and testing for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy at Central Ohio Technical College.
Becca started as a Part-time Park Ranger at Blendon Woods in September 2019 and was promoted to Full-time Park Ranger in April 2021. Erin started as a Part-time Park Ranger at Pickerington Ponds in August 2019 and was promoted to Full-time Park Ranger in May 2020. Dan began as a Seasonal Park Ranger at Scioto Audubon in 2018, was hired as a Part-time Park Ranger in May 2019 and was promoted to Full-time Park Ranger in May 2020.
We are proud of the dedication and professionalism displayed by our staff to accomplish this goal. Congratulations Becca, Erin and Dan!
What does a peace officer do? Did this change the rangers job duties? What did the training include? Lot of information that could have been included in your announcement.
Barbara, thank you for your comment. Full-time Park Rangers are required to be or become commissioned through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA). Once commissioned, full-time Park Rangers are sworn law enforcement officers and this training gives them the necessary education and skills to perform their duties effectively.
Every Park Ranger I have encountered in our Metro Park system has been very friendly and helpful. We are so incredibly blessed to have a free Metro Park system and I personally am grateful for all of the staff and their dedication!