Overview of the San Antonio Park Police

Formerly known as the San Antonio Park Rangers, the San Antonio Park Police is a division of the city's Parks and Recreation Department. Officers of this agency are fully certified police officers in the State of Texas with the full legal authority to carry weapons, make arrests, conduct searches, question suspects, etc.

The duties and responsibilities of the Park Police generally revolve around the protection of natural resources, protection of life and property, the preservation of the peace, and the enforcement of the laws of the City of San Antonio and the State of Texas.

Members of the San Antonio Park Police Department must meet the same training and testing requirements as all other law enforcement officers in the State of Texas as required by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. Officers continue to receive on-going training from the San Antonio Park Police Training Academy.

The San Antonio Park Police Department is authorized to employ one officer in the rank of Chief, one in the rank of Captain, two Lieutenants, 13 Sergeants, approximately 112 Park Police Officers, and four administrative support personnel.

Police officers of the Parks and Recreation Department may be assigned to patrol areas of their jurisdiction on foot, by vehicle, on All Terrain Vehicles, or on bikes. Besides the acres of natural resources and trails that the Park Police patrol, they are also responsible for patrolling popular tourist areas of San Antonio, including the River Walk and the Alamo.

The jurisdiction of the San Antonio Park Police includes more than 16,500 acres that form over 200 city owned parks offering services which include swimming pools, gyms, cemeteries, sports facilities, golf facilities, the Botanical Garden, a conservatory, and the Tower of America. Various construction projects throughout the City of San Antonio and Bexar County continue to expand the jurisdiction of the San Antonio Park Police.