Crime & Safety
Park Ranger Reprimanded for Catching Perv
A Prospect Park Ranger who busted a man who exposed himself in the park and was later found carrying marijuana and a loaded gun, has been put on desk duty for his actions.
Last month, Andrew Marsala, an Urban Park Ranger in Prospect Park chased and apprehended 53-year-old Glen Perouza, a Queens man who was caught masturbating near the Third Street Playground. It was later discovered that Perouza was carrying a bag of marijuana and a loaded gun. A Walk In The Park broke the story the next day, and Marsala was generally lauded as a hero by everyone – except park supervisors.
The Daily News reports that Marsala has been reprimanded for his actions and placed on desk duty.
When Marsala originally apprehended Perouza, he found a bag of marijuana in his coat pocket, but missed the loaded 9-mm handgun with 15 rounds of ammunition. It was found by Marsala later when police were transporting Perouza, according to the Daily News.
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Urban Park Rangers are unarmed employees of the Parks Department, according to a previous story by the Daily News. Rangers are mostly responsible for running education programs and walking tour through the park.
According to the Chief-Leader, Marsala said of his supervisors: “They don’t like it when we do enforcement. They said, ‘Why didn’t you just call the police?’ I was like, ‘And let him get away?’’’
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Yesterday, A Walk In The Park reported that a park ranger who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: "They want us to look the other way and not get involved.”
