ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta is set to explore establishing its own park rangers unit.
The city council approved a resolution in Tuesday's meeting to provide for a study that would examine how such a unit would be established and whether it would be feasible.
It asserts that, "Atlanta’s parks deserve a dedicated enforcement unit to improve the margin of safety, rather than periodic patrols."
"Today, the Atlanta City Council passed legislation that I introduced to find a path toward making our city parks and public spaces safer by studying the feasibility of Park Rangers. We must be innovative in our approach to public safety," Councilman Byron Amos said on Twitter.
The study would seek input from the Atlanta Police Department and Department of Parks and Recreation. Specifics about the unit - such as whether it would be formed within APD or Parks and Rec and whether the rangers would be armed - are not mentioned in the resolution.
The resolution cites the example of South Fulton, which has an established park rangers unit within the City of South Fulton Police Department.
The park rangers in South Fulton are described as a "team of dedicated men and women that support the Police Department’s mission by providing high-quality police services in cooperation with our communities while implementing 21st Century Policing principles and adopting a guardian mindset as we serve the public."
It's not clear if South Fulton's park rangers are armed. National Park Service park rangers by comparison are armed.
The City of Atlanta resolution says that the purpose of the rangers would be to "ensure the safety of park users, working jointly with police to patrol parks by bike, off-road vehicles, and on foot."
South Fulton's unit is designed to "provide public assistance and emergency services in South Fulton City parks, including first aid, park policing, search and rescue," according to the city website.
The resolution passed on Tuesday calls for recommendations to be made to the council within 180 days.