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Impersonating a Park Ranger

roggenb3

roggenb3

* Ace Member *
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
2,990
Location
Madtown
Simple question for you legal minded folk.

Is it illegal to impersonate a City/County Park Ranger?

I don't mean actually telling people that you are a park ranger, but I assume making it seem as if you are one is enough to be considered "impersonating". I ask because my friends and I always joke about buying a generic "Park Ranger" polo to keep in our bag. Then when we see groups of chuckers that don't pay, we can throw on the shirt and say "Checking permits today, boys".
 
We have different kinds of rangers around here. He have State Park Rangers, who are certified Hwy Patrolmen. So impersonating them I'm sure is illegal. We also have a county park district that has there own Rangers, and they are a self contained police force that carry guns and can arrest you. So I would imagine it is also illegal to do it there.

In a nutshell I would think its a bad idea. But maybe you can contact the park and get deputized..

sticker,375x360.u1.png
 
brutalbrutus said:
We have different kinds of rangers around here. He have State Park Rangers, who are certified Hwy Patrolmen. So impersonating them I'm sure is illegal. We also have a county park district that has there own Rangers, and they are a self contained police force that carry guns and can arrest you. So I would imagine it is also illegal to do it there.

In a nutshell I would think its a bad idea. But maybe you can contact the park and get deputized..
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Well, I was given a Junior Park Ranger sticker when I helped the ranger move pins at Elver last year. Does that count? Lol.

Neither city or county rangers here can actually arrest you, and they definitely dont carry guns. Im guessing it would be a relatively minor charge. We'd likely never actually do this, but boy is it tempting when youre behind 3 huge groups of non-paying noobs.
 
roggenb3 said:
Well, I was given a Junior Park Ranger sticker when I helped the ranger move pins at Elver last year. Does that count? Lol.

Neither city or county rangers here can actually arrest you, and they definitely dont carry guns. Im guessing it would be a relatively minor charge. We'd likely never actually do this, but boy is it tempting when youre behind 3 huge groups of non-paying noobs.
Click to expand...

As a Junior Ranger, I think it would be well within your jurisdiction, to go start taking pictures of the offenders, alerting them to your Junior Ranger status and informing them that their pics are going to be emailed to the proper authorities.
 
brutalbrutus said:
In a nutshell I would think its a bad idea. But maybe you can contact the park and get deputized..
Click to expand...

I know this would never work, but this got me thinking. It would be awesome if 5-10 respected members of the local disc golf community could be given some Parks authority.

People would be far more nervous to not pay, since anyone you play through could be one of those guys.

And that way there'd actually be someone checking passes. Currently I only see Rangers every once in a blue moon (yet to see one at Elver this year and I play there almost daily). The county is a bit better, but erbody know you don't have to pay at the city courses.
 
Park rangers are all government officials. I think, but I'm not 100%, that impersonating a public official is a crime everywhere, and probably a felony in some instances.

If you want to get up in people's business, and you know 100% they didn't pay, why not just take down the tag number and report it? Seems like something the parks probably aren't concerned with though, if they really wanted to collect they would have a guy at the entrance.
 
Sometimes people around here refer to the people sitting in the little shack collecting park entry fees as rangers, those people are usually volunteers, around here.
 
You'll probably get prison if you get caught pretending to be an official. Seems like a very bad idea
 
wims said:
You'll probably get prison if you get caught pretending to be an official. Seems like a very bad idea
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Trouble yeah, prison...idk. Is just wearing a shirt that says Ranger enough for it be called impersonating an official? What about a generic "STAFF" shirt? Even that would probably work.

Anyways, you guys got way more hardcore rangers than we do I guess. Carrying guns and whatnot seems cray to me. What does a park ranger need a gun for?

thirtydirtybirds said:
If you want to get up in people's business, and you know 100% they didn't pay, why not just take down the tag number and report it? Seems like something the parks probably aren't concerned with though, if they really wanted to collect they would have a guy at the entrance.
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What tag number? Their license plate? And yeah, regardless, the parks dept isn't going to care.

I do have the cell # of one of the rangers, and have been tempted to call him and see if he will come to Elver when I see groups of high schoolers hooting and hollering, cursing at people and throwing on them. Maybe I'll try that next time, but I doubt he will come across town. I'd have to be lucky that he is free and on the West side. But if he is he'd probably come - he hates those kind of groups and I know he has handed out a few tickets to folks like that.
 
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The term 'Ranger' is ambiguous and has many differing definitions depending on the location. For example, the duties of a US National park Ranger include: Law enforcement, Interpretation and Education, Emergency response, Firefighting, Dispatcher, Scientist and Scholars Maintenance, and Administration. All wear a common uniform regardless of work assignment. Around here, most are armed.

I would avoid the legal entanglements of impersonating one. ;)
 
Man arrested for impersonating park ranger

SHAWNEE, Kan. -- Dressed in a cowboy hat and black T-shirt, one man reportedly impersonated a park ranger at Shawnee Mission Park.
According to police, Cameron Prouse is suspected of showing up to several parts of Shawnee Mission Park and asked people to show him their fishing licenses.
Witnesses said he claimed to be a park ranger. FOX 4's Mary Pulley spoke with at least one witness who goes to the park with his son. Lantie Heltzel said he's just glad that no one got hurt.
"He pulls his gun, shows the safety and said, 'Oh, they gave me these handcuffs, too.' I'm thinking, 'Wow, that ain't right,'" Heltzel said.
He said Prouse told him his uncle got him the job as a ranger.
Prouse was booked earlier this week and bonded out of jail. He has a court date scheduled for June 26.
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http://fox4kc.com/2013/06/20/man-arrested-for-impersonating-park-ranger/
 
LOL, the members on here can find an article on any subject!!
 
The reason that park rangers now carry guns is the high frequency of felonies in parks. Maybe we could match up the felons with those refusing to pay fees?
 
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