Patrolling the parks and countryside sites in Epsom & Ewell is part of the role of the Ranger Service. The task is to ensure that all of our sites are safe and well maintained. There are many aspects to patrolling and you can find out more below.

Antisocial Behaviour

Whilst patrolling our sites the Rangers often come across damage, graffiti, litter and have to deal with confrontational and occasionally aggressive situations.

The Ranger Service has very clear procedures for dealing with antisocial behaviour.

• Damage:  When a Ranger discovers a damaged item they will record the problem. The Ranger writes out a written report in detail which is then passed onto the relevant maintenance crew.
• Graffiti:  Where possible, a Ranger will remove the graffiti when it is found although this does depend on what substance has been used and the surface it is on. If the graffiti is too difficult to remove it will be passed to the Graffiti Team to be dealt with.
• Litter:  The Ranger Service has a duty to keep the parks as tidy as possible.  Playgrounds in particular are checked daily and are specifically cleared of all broken glass, dangerous items and litter. Operational Services litter pick and empty bins regularly throughout the week.
• Confrontational behaviour:  The Ranger Service works closely with local police. If a situation becomes too much for a Ranger to handle they will call on help from the Police.

Opening & Locking

An important part of the Ranger's role is to ensure that sites and buildings are opened and locked on time. The Ranger Service lock 10 sites every evening and at weekends all park facilities are opened and locked by the team. To ensure personal safety for the Rangers, locking is always carried out by a minimum of 2 Rangers. The Rangers must also ensure that all booked facilities are opened and locked on time.

Patrolling

Patrolling the parks and countryside sites in Epsom & Ewell is one of the roles of the Ranger Service. The task is to ensure that all of our sites are safe for all users and well maintained. There are many aspects to patrolling and you can find out more by getting in touch with us via email or by telephoning 01372 732000.

Reporting

The effectiveness of the Ranger Service depends heavily on the reporting skills of the Rangers. When a Ranger discovers anything out of the ordinary or issues are reported to them by the public, they will make a note of the problem and that will be transferred to a written report form.

The efficient operation of the reporting structure is given the highest priority by parks and countryside management as the system enables an accurate picture of the state of our sites on a daily basis. We also have the added benefit of a conscientious body of park users who also report problems to the Rangers on patrol and to the Contact Centre.  These calls are logged and passed on for completion.

Standards

The Rangers service over 40 parks, open spaces, countryside sites and playgrounds and each of these have a standard number of visits to be completed every week. Priority parks and playgrounds are checked daily. For information on the required number of visits for each park, please see the relevant parks website or contact the Ranger Service by telephone on 01372 732000 or send us an email.

Return to the Ranger Service Page

Return to the Parks and Countryside webpage