Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — July 31, 2025 — A new layer of protection has been added to Jonesboro, ensuring that those who visit the parks or go to events in the area have a smooth experience.
On July 30, the City of Jonesboro announced on its Facebook page the launch of its City Park Ranger program, making it one of the first municipalities in Arkansas to “develop a full-time initiative blending public safety, law enforcement, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.”
“With the large number of parks and community centers in Jonesboro, it’s important we dedicate trained staff for our residents’ and visitors’ safety while enjoying our parks,” Mayor Harold Copenhaver said in a press release. “We’re reimagining what public service looks like in our parks, our neighborhoods, and our events. These park rangers represent a new era of visibility, safety, and community pride.”
The inaugural team has been in service since July 7, consisting of Joshua Andrews, Myles Copenhaver, Brandon Curry, and Christian Munoz. The members will operate under the Code Enforcement department and serve Jonesboro’s 26+ parks, community centers, green spaces, downtown entertainment district, and citywide special events. The program was voted on by the city council for the FY2025 budget.
Parks and Recreation director Danny Kapales said this will give the city another set of eyes to help monitor activities in these areas and react accordingly. The rangers will also serve as a reminder of what to do and what not to do, as Kapales said that people sometimes need to have that conversation.
“They just need to hear it from someone, or they need to have somebody to ask a question to. That’ll be an education for those folks to be able to have somebody to turn to,” he said.
The rangers will operate from noon to 10 p.m., as Kapales said places like the parks tend to get busier in the evening. However, if an event like the Downtown BBQ Festival or another large event were to occur, he added that talks about plan adjustments will be had, ensuring the rangers will be on scene in addition to police officers or other agencies.
“All four may come in for that Friday night and all four come in for that Saturday so that we have them down there during the biggest opportunity for people to be downtown. We would put a heavier group to help monitor what’s happening during that time period,” he said.
Kapales explained in most cases, if an incident were to occur at a park or community center, the rangers would be the first to respond. He said this will ensure police officers are not stretched thin.
“We’re going to be able to allow our officers to stay in command of what they’re supposed to be doing on site, use our assets in a better way, and have these guys [the rangers] handle some of these things that are not as threatening,” he said, ensuring that if a situation did escalate, police officers would be on standby.
The program is one of several initiatives as a result of the city’s Parks Master Plan, with Kapales noting that it was necessary to have the rangers onboard due to more people going to the city’s parks. It’s why the rangers have and continue to go through training, ensuring they know the most important aspects of the locations.
“The park rangers are getting a full education of Parks and Recreation of what each park means, the hours of each park, and how each park was developed. They’re going to be out there at that full growth of what’s happening with Jonesboro and the full growth of the park system,” he said.
Having the rangers out at the parks will also make it easier to pinpoint what adjustments need to be made and what areas need the most attention, according to Kapales.
“They’re going to see this stuff, and they’re writing these reports, and they’re letting us know so we can get on top of it,” he said.
As of now, there are no talks of expansions with the group, as Kapales said the four rangers were the only ones allotted for the budget. He explained the goal is to see how this first deployment goes, work out some of the issues, and move forward from there.
With a new set of eyes patrolling the parks and community centers, Kapales hopes it gives the Parks Department a better idea of the daily activities and that visitors are safer because of it.