8.60.390 Park safety – Enforcement.
A. Park rules, as promulgated in this chapter, are established to provide a system by which the greatest number of people may obtain the maximum satisfaction from the use of city parks and recreation facilities. For the rules to serve this purpose, they must be understood and followed by the park users. Accordingly, park safety involves both public awareness and rule enforcement programs.
B. The degree and extent to which the application of park safety shall be adapted to city parks shall be based on purpose and location of each park and recreation facility, its environment and surrounding community, the number and type of persons using it, the number and type of rule violations that have occurred in the past, and the perception that the users have of the park or facility as a safe place to use. The department shall keep records of safety problems and rules violations in each facility and continuously evaluate the safety program for each facility based on those records.
C. Both the police department and the parks and recreation department shall have the authority to oversee park safety. Each department’s authority may include the following:
1. Parks and Recreation Department.
a. Enforcing rules of conduct set forth in the ordinance for which department personnel have appropriate authority;
b. Developing and implementing public awareness programs regarding the purpose of the facilities and the rules governing their use;
c. Encouraging voluntary compliance with rules based on awareness;
d. Training department personnel in the appropriate use of administrative sanctions as a means of park rules enforcement;
e. Notifications of law enforcement officers who have primary jurisdiction in a particular geographic area whenever department personnel observe violations of park rules requiring further law enforcement authority or other violations of park rules requiring law enforcement assistance; or whenever they need assistance in executing their responsibility pursuant to this chapter.
2. Bothell Police Department.
a. Deputizing and/or training of personnel authorized to issue citations for infractions;
b. Providing supplementary patrols in parks and recreation facilities as jointly determined by the parks and recreation director and the chief of police;
c. Responding, as appropriate, to requests from department personnel for assistance in situations beyond their capacity or authority to act;
d. The primary method of enforcing park rules shall be through requesting voluntary compliance by park users. Enforcement through the issuance of citations for violations of park ordinances shall be executed solely by those personnel who are specifically commissioned for that purpose. Parks and recreation personnel may be trained by the Bothell police department at the request of the director of parks and recreation in accordance with applicable law as may be necessary to ensure proper enforcement of park rules. Such person shall receive training as required by the Bothell police department and the state law to issue warning citations only. The chief of police and the director of parks and recreation will work cooperatively to implement and oversee the training program. (Ord. 2174 § 1, 2015; Ord. 2094 § 1 (Exh. A), 2012; Ord. 1835 § 1, 2000; Ord. 1277 § 1, 1987).