Laguna Beach to expand park ranger staffing; rangers to enforce leash, no-alcohol and canopy rules

Lieutenant Jason Farris said the city has converted its beach patrol program into park ranger positions and currently staffs eight rangers, with two additional positions planned by the end of 2025.

The change is intended to broaden enforcement and community outreach on Laguna Beach shorelines, parks and open space, Farris said. "The park rangers do everything from nuisance enforcement on the beach, such as no alcohol, no smoking, dogs off leash, and litter control, to helping serve as ambassadors to those residents and visitors who wanna safely enjoy our community," he said.

Farris also laid out specific enforcement priorities and safety rules. He said canopies "cannot block the view of our marine safety staff as they try and view the entirety of the beach and the ocean environment." He added that in parks, rangers will pay close attention to dogs off leash, smoking prohibitions and other "critical violations." "If you're a resident of Laguna Beach, we can't treat you any differently than we would treat our visitors," Farris said, stressing equal enforcement for residents and visitors. "If you see a park ranger, make sure you say hello," he added.

The remarks in the meeting transcript identify two park rangers by surname—Becerra and Ramirez—working with Farris. The transcript did not specify funding sources for the two new positions, the positions' job classifications beyond "park ranger," or whether the hires require separate budget approval.

No votes or formal actions on staffing or ordinance changes were recorded in the provided transcript segment. The comments describe operational priorities and expected conduct but do not establish new regulations in the text provided.