Post Masturbator Incident, Prospect Park Rangers to get Cop-Like Training

Previously: While giving a tour of Prospect Park, Urban Park Ranger Andrew Marsala caught a man with weed on his body and a loaded gun in his car masturbating in the bushes. Instead of being thanked for busting a bad guy, Marsala was reprimanded by the Parks Department (also: watch our coverage of the incident animated by Taiwanese animators).

Realizing they won’t be able to stop a new generation of post-Marsala urban park rangers from exercising their right to arrest wrong doers, the Parks Department is now offering them cop-like training courses. These classes include techniques in collaring perps and conflict-resolution.

Park Rangers have been requesting these classes for years. “We’re happy it’s finally being done,” said Geoffrey Croft of  NYC Parks Advocates. I imagine that participating rangers will look forward to emerging from these classes as Super Rangers who can hopefully, one day, pull a Ranger Marsala and awesomely stop a nasty bush masturbator.

Parks Department spokeswoman Vickie Karp refused to say why they chose to start giving these classes now.

And what about Ranger Marsala? Unfortunately, he’s not allowed to talk to the media. We also hear that he’s stuck on desk duty, indefinitely...

[Via The Brooklyn Paper]