Minute Man staff enforces laws, guides visitors

The Concord Journal
February 7, 2002

Park rangers on patrol in historical territory
Minute Man staff enforces laws, guides visitors

By BETSY LEVINSON
STAFF WRITER

The job is a far cry from the antics of Ranger Rick, the lovable critter that admonished children to be kind to animals.

Park rangers at the Minute Man National Historical Park are full-fledged law enforcement officers, all of whom recently underwent 17 weeks of federal training in Virginia.

Their job is expanding along with the dimensions of the park. As each property is taken over and rehabbed along the Battle Road Trail on Route 2A through parts of Lexington, Lincoln and Concord, the crew of seven rangers finds themselves in ever-changing circumstances.

They are working closely with the police departments in the three towns to provide seamless traffic enforcement and visitor safety.

Dan Baker has worked at the park for the past eight years. He trained as a park ranger in 1987 and worked at a park in Virginia before moving north. He works with Tom Casey, an 18-year ranger who has been at Minute Man for three years.

" Every park is different, " said Casey, who worked in South Dakota for seven years before his current posting. " Law enforcement is different within the towns the parks are in. Concord, Lincoln and Lexington provide a different setting than Death Valley. "

Casey said the mission of the Minute Man park resonates with him.

" It’s showcasing the beginning of the Revolutionary War, " he said. " It’s the beginning of the story with Paul Revere’s ride and capture, the North Bridge and the retreat of the British. "

He and Baker boned up on their early American history before taking on the job because they are interpreters as well as enforcers.

" We cover felonies that occur in the park, as well as dogs off their leashes, " said Baker, " but we are also park interpreters. We do it all. " He noted that with one million visitors to the park every year, they are kept busy.

" There is vandalism and other criminal activities, " he said. " We have full police powers, such as conducting investigations, serving warrants, and issuing tickets for speeding. "

Concord Police Lt. Paul Macone said the increased enforcement along the heavily traveled road is a great collaboration.

" It complements both our efforts, " said Macone. " Having the rangers handling some traffic enforcement helps us all. It makes the town safer. "

Safety for park visitors is on Casey’s mind Monday as he prepared for the day’s duty from a park-owned house that the rangers are painting and renovating into their ranger station.

" We have a concurrent jurisdiction, " said Casey. " If there’s an accident within the park, we would call it in to the local police department. We both enforce each other’s laws. "

Macone said the park put a radio in the police station so " their cruisers can communicate with our dispatch. We know where they are. " He said there is a link at the CPD to the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the state probation office so that license plates can be checked by park rangers if necessary.

" The net gain is we have another marked official cruiser with the same tools for law enforcement as we have, " said Macone. " Cooperation is the name of the game. "

Baker said the opening of the Battle Road bike trail brought new headaches along with the surge in bike and jogger traffic.

" The trail is full in the summer, and we’ve added parking lots so there are more cars as well as people, " said Baker. " It’s our job to protect both the park resources and the visitors so they can maximize their time with us. "

Casey said just last month the cost of speeding within the park went up significantly in an effort to curb speeding along the popular street that used to be full of homes, farm stands, a restaurant, even a car dealership. Fines recently jumped from $50 to a maximum of $150.

" There are an estimated 21,000 cars a day in the park, " said Casey. " Many commuters do not appreciate or even realize they are in a national park. "

Other crimes include illegal deer hunting, growing marijuana, and the occasional violent crime, such as a homicide that happened several years ago in the Lincoln section of the park.

" It’s hard work, but very enjoyable, " said Casey. " I believe in the mission of the park, so my work becomes a passion. We are engaged in transforming a road into a park, and ensuring people’s enjoyment while they’ re here. "

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