State-Controlled Police Withdraw Park Rangers From Traditional Duties, Risking Closure of Outdoor Pools for the Summer

Just as summer break for thousands of St. Louis children is set to begin, with City of St. Louis outdoor pools scheduled to open Saturday, May 23, the state-controlled St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department notified the City that Park Rangers, which fall under SLMPD control, will no longer provide on-site security at outdoor pools, a departure from the duties performed by the rangers for many years.

The City was notified of the security shortfall, due to ranger vacancies, days before the pool season was set to begin. Due to the lack of a constant security presence during pool hours by Park Rangers or an SLMPD-contracted alternative, the City's free pools risked not being able to open for the summer.

Fortunately, under the leadership of Sheriff John Hayden, the Sheriff's Office has offered to take on this additional duty until private security can be onboarded, allowing pools to open as planned this weekend. Constant security presence during pool hours is necessary to ensure the safety of everyone at the pools while allowing lifeguards to remain fully focused on those who are swimming. Park Rangers have historically provided this security, in line with their responsibilities of "maintaining order, and ensuring the safety of visitors at city parks, recreation centers, and forest facilities."

"The St. Louis summer is just around the corner, and our kids are going on summer break, with many looking to cool down and have a fun, safe time at our free outdoor pools," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "It's extremely disappointing that state control means that the Park Rangers, which City taxpayers pay for, won't be providing this basic security service at some of our key Parks Department facilities this summer. I am very grateful to the Sheriff's Office for stepping up to make sure our kids can take advantage of our outdoor pools while we find a long-term solution."

While the Sheriff's Office is able to cover these Park Rangers duties in the short term, it cannot - and is not meant to - provide these services the entire summer. The City is therefore pursuing contracted security services, which should be paid for out of the Park Rangers budget using excess salary dollars from current vacancies.

Accordingly, the mayor urges the Board of Police Commissioners to amend its Resolution No. 2026-19, which requested the transfer of $250,000 out of the Park Rangers salary account to fund police vehicles, and instead transfer those excess salary funds to contracted security services to fulfill the mission of the Park Rangers. It is standard procedure for City departments to cover the cost of contracted services to fill service gaps when needed. Park Ranger security responsibilities are no different and should be covered by SLMPD.