Council presses Parks on Parks Enforcement Patrol staffing as 100 officer lines remain oneshot

Council members used the FY27 executive hearing to press DPR for an answer about the fate of Parks Enforcement Patrol officers whose positions remain one‑shot in the executive plan.

"Our PEP officers are absolutely critical components to our agency," Commissioner Trisha Shimamura said, noting DPR has roughly 350–354 officer lines in its roster and that the roughly 100 oneshot officers represent a substantial portion of that force.

What was said: Council members expressed concern that if the oneshot funding is not baselined or otherwise provided in the adopted budget, employees supported by those lines could be without jobs after the fiscal year. Shimamura said DPR typically tries to move impacted employees into other open lines or grant‑funded roles but acknowledged that availability depends on open slots and hiring pipelines.

Deployment concerns: Several council members requested that DPR preserve dedicated PEP presence in high‑use parks such as Roy Wilkins Park in Southeast Queens rather than rotating officers away from parks that previously received targeted PEP investment. DPR said it uses a data‑driven approach to deploy officers to hotspots but will review allocations to honor targeted funding where needed.

Training and role: DPR reminded the committee that PEP officers undergo substantial conflict‑resolution training (about 16 weeks) and serve as the agency’s primary peace‑officer presence in parks, doing rules enforcement and community outreach.

Next steps: DPR said it is in ongoing conversations with the mayor’s Office of Management and Budget about baselining positions and will provide the committee with a breakdown of remaining oneshot lines and associated headcounts. Council members emphasized urgency given summer park use and large planned events.

Sources: Commissioner Trisha Shimamura and council members during the Parks & Recreation Committee FY27 executive budget hearing.