Corona park ranger program reports full staffing and enforcement statistics

Park ranger supervisor Richie Aguilar told the Parks and Recreation Commission the city’s park ranger program is fully staffed and operating daily, and he presented usage and enforcement data through the first part of 2025.

Aguilar said the program employs 10 people (eight part-time rangers, one weekend senior ranger part time, one full-time senior ranger and one full-time supervisor) and provides coverage roughly 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Rangers perform patrols, reservation checks for picnic shelters, lead guided hikes and manage volunteer programs.

Program statistics provided to the commission include 103 citations issued so far this year and approximately 120 dispatches to parks for low-level calls. Aguilar said the most common issues were parking violations, camping/wellness checks and dogs off leash. The citation breakdown staff provided listed 51 parking violations, 14 camping-related citations, 10 for unauthorized riding/driving, 10 for drinking/smoking, and 18 other violations such as unpermitted vendors.

Rangers also run guided hikes (staff reported more than 225 participants so far in 2025) and three volunteer programs: park ambassadors (monthly inspections and service reports), an adopt-a-park program for group volunteer projects, and ranger-assisted guided hikes. The ranger program coordinates with police dispatch for response and provides a non-emergency contact pathway for the public; Aguilar asked residents to call the police non-emergency line and select the park-ranger option for on-site response.

During public comment Desiree Crosby suggested additional summer employment opportunities for older teens and more family-oriented programming tied to the ranger program. Commissioners thanked staff for the update and praised the program’s community outreach.