Jonesboro officials plan to hire two part-time park rangers for the town’s new Lee Street Park.
The rangers are needed to deter criminal activities and provide security during park events, Mayor Joy Day said Thursday. The rangers will be paid $14.50 an hour for 30 hours a week and will be Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)-certified allowing them to carry guns and arrest people if needed, Day added. The two positions were approved at a Jonesboro council meeting Tuesday.
“We’ve had a large participation in the park,” Day said. “A large majority are families enjoying the park. But like anything, we’ve had some problems in the park such as vandalism. Because of the number of people there, we need to have a city employee on site to give directions and help people if there’s any problems at the park.”
The six-acre park opened in April and features an amphitheatre, playground, pavillion, walking path, market area and a large fountain with sitting area. The park cost $3.4 million to build and was financed through the city’s Urban Redevelopment Agency, Day said.
“We hope to have them (the rangers) on board within the next three weeks,” Day said.
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