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Parks department outlines safety plan, cites $4.4 million in investments and new patrol tools
Summary
Dallas Park and Recreation briefed the Public Safety Committee on a multi‑pillar Park Safety and Security Strategic Plan that includes surveillance, lighting, marshals, rangers, camera trailers, drones and community engagement funded through ARPA and other allocations.
Deputy Director Renee Johnson and Park and Recreation staff told the Public Safety Committee about progress implementing the Parks Safety and Security Strategic Plan and described investments in surveillance, lighting, marshals and patrol tools.
Johnson summarized the plan’s pillars—interagency coordination, community engagement, equipment and infrastructure, and strategy—and described partnerships with Dallas Police Department, the Dallas Marshals Office and other city units. She highlighted operational actions at multiple parks that combined enforcement, cleanups and amenity investments to increase public use and safety.
The department said ARPA funds supported surveillance system installations at 58 locations, with 43 complete and 11 sites still needing power. The presentation listed ARPA surveillance funding at $2,580,000 and showed total listed park safety investments of about $4,400,000 across surveillance, lighting and related infrastructure. Johnson described camera trailers, mountain bikes, drones, UTVs and other equipment used to reach trail and wooded areas; she said the department recently received three additional camera trailers, bringing the total to six deployed trailers.
On drones, Johnson said parks purchased a drone but does not yet have fully certified in-house pilots. She said marshals have identified staff interested in the specialized law‑enforcement drone training and the department plans to fund training so employees would not bear the cost. The marshals also operate overnight patrols; committee members were told there is a funded overnight shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. with one supervisor and three deputies assigned.
Council members pressed for operational detail: how cameras are monitored (park supervisors perform scheduled checks; professional monitoring is under consideration), whether camera trailers and drones can be expanded, and how parking enforcement and gating are used when adjacent multifamily properties limit senior access. Johnson said action plans vary by site and sometimes include towing, citations, lighting and gates when appropriate, and that staff will include requests for additional camera trailers in future budgets.
Council members thanked staff for partnership with marshals, DPD and community groups and asked for follow‑up materials, including the full strategic plan and the camera-trailer deployment cost details.
