A recent Ventura County grand jury inquiry found that the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District does not have enough rangers to adequately cover its nearly 50 parks and should eliminate its ranger program altogether.

The district includes the parks in Oak Park.

The grand jury also called into question the expenditure of public funds to employ the rangers as armed, sworn peace officers given the presence of Simi Valley police officers and Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies in the vicinity.

Larry Peterson, general manager of the park district, said he was “surprised” at the grand jury report.

“The program has been in place for many, many years,” Peterson said. “(It) program reports directly to me and I spend a lot of time working with (it) to improve the caliber . . . and to ensure that it helps deter crime and responds to issues in parks. So the basis for the grand jury’s recommendation is that it represents a duplication of service. I don’t really see it like that.”

Though he disagrees with the grand jury’s findings, Peterson said the matter will go before the park district’s board of directors.

“Although I believe the board and the district staff believe the ranger program is important, this report is going to provide the chance to review (it) again,” he said.

The grand jury conducted an investigation of the park district’s ranger program in response to a public complaint that alleged poor ranger performance, unqualified rangers and physically unfit rangers.

A 2006-07 grand jury issued a report on ranger operations after an investigation into similar complaints.

Peterson said he’s surprised at the most recent grand jury recommendation because the report from four years ago reached a different conclusion. The earlier grand jury wanted to see the district increase ranger coverage to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Peterson said the district rarely receives complaints about the rangers and that the public mostly appreciates the job they do.

Still, the grand jury’s report says rangers patrolling 47 district parks and facilities spread over a large area are “superfluous and ineffective.”

The ranger program is intended to provide public safety and education, prevent vandalism and protect facilities at parks in Simi Valley and Oak Park.

The program is small. According to the grand jury’s report, one full-time senior ranger, two full-time rangers and 10 part-time rangers staff the program. But Peterson said there are currently eight part-time rangers, not 10.

To obtain a history of staffing levels, the grand jury reviewed copies of the district’s daily activity reports from April 1 through Sept. 30, 2010.

The daily ranger schedule includes an early shift running from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and a late shift from 3:30 p.m. to midnight.

During the six-month, 183-day period the grand jury analyzed, the reports showed no rangers on duty during 68 early shifts and two late shifts; one ranger on duty during 98 early shifts and 97 late shifts; and two or more rangers on duty during 17 early shifts and 84 late shifts.

The grand jury said Rancho Simi’s limited staffing prevents it from providing more services, and that since all of the district’s properties are patroled by either Simi police or Ventura County sheriffs deputies, the park district should do away with its ranger program.

The grand jury’s report states that enforcement and public protection are the responsibility of the police and sheriff’s departments, noting that from Sept. 1, 2009 to Sept. 1, 2010, Simi police responded to about 1,390 calls involving district parks and facilities. Of those, 492 were initiated by Simi police.

The report recommends that security services for special events and park programs could be provided through private security companies.

The grand jury suggests that a part-time park district employee coordinate the security contracts, that public education be provided by lower-paid, part-time employees or volunteer docents, and that gates and restrooms be locked and unlocked by non-law enforcement personnel.

Peterson agreed that the rangers are not the primary authority for safety, saying the district’s main mission is providing parks and recreational activities.

“We provide an extra level of safety with the park ranger program but . . . law enforcement in the community of Simi Valley largely rests with the Simi Valley Police Department,” he said. “They’ve got dispatchers and officers on the streets at all times. . . . All we’re trying to do is supplement that.”

Peterson said the presence of rangers helps deter crime. They also work with issues involving unleashed dogs, youth skateboarders and the homeless, and they help ensure that the district’s public spaces aren’t abused.

Eliminating the ranger program would save on salaries, employee benefits, patrol vehicles and other support costs, the grand jury said. The savings could be used to supplement declining park district revenues.

But Peterson said the cost of the program is less than $400,000 a year, or 2 percent of the park district’s annual budget of about $22 million.

Peterson defended the program.

“If we experience more issues, I might come to a different conclusion, but right now I feel it is decent, well-managed and at a cost that is not too excessive.”

The park district board, the sheriff’s department and the Simi Valley City Council must respond to the grand jury report. A response also has been requested from the Simi Valley Chief of Police.

To see the report, visit grandjury. countyofventura.org.