Parks Police Patrolling Morris County Parks Becoming Sheriffs Officers

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — There are 29 Morris County Park Police that make their rounds in parks throughout the county, who will become part of the Bureau of Law Enforcement of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office starting on Jan. 1.

The move was made by the Morris County Commissioners and Park Commissioners, which oversees the currently last-standing, independent Park Police force statewide for the largest county park system in New Jersey, according to a news release from the County of Morris.

The change was made to provide uninterrupted insurance coverage for the officers, one of the main concerns sparking the consolidation of the two entities, should “any legal actions arise in regards to an officer’s performance of his or her duties,” the news release stated,” giving the park police, while remaining autonomous, comparable coverage “afforded to all other officers in law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey.”

“The Park Police have done an exemplary job in protecting the public, park staff, and the County's 39 park facilities, and while the County has sought for years to merge the park police into the Sheriff's Office, events over the past few years make this transition prudent and timely,” said President of the Park Commission, Stuart Lasser. “This structural change, along with appropriate funding, will offer the County's parks enhanced safety and security.”

One nearby Sheriff's Office that has a similar structure is Essex County, a Sheriff's office which eventually absorbed the Essex County Park Police.

The 39 facilities the Morris County Park Police officers patrol countywide year-round on its 20,000 acres range from the Central Park of Morris County in Parsippany, a sprawling sports complex on 420-acres with multi-use fields, a 5K course, dog park and amphitheater; to the Cultural Center and Traction Line Recreational Trail adjacent to the New Jersey Transit Line both in Morristown; to the William G. Mennen Sports Arena, Seaton Hackney Stables, Fosterfields Living Historical Pond and Frelinghuysen Arboretum, all in Morris Township; and to more local and bucolic county parks like the Columbia Trail in Long Valley that connects to Hunterdon County.

“I am very honored to witness the joining of these two very sophisticated Morris County law enforcement agencies," Morris County Sheriff James Gannon said, reiterating the two units work together frequently already. "The Park Officers are some of the very best.”

“This change will bring further opportunities to the Park Police staff as well as the Sheriff Officers, and it is in the best interest of the people of Morris County,” Gannon added.

Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen H. Shaw said Gannon is planning to add several officers on staff to further strengthen the county’s park patrols, adding to the present 90-member Bureau of Law Enforcement’s headcount.

“This is a plan that will enhance the park operations,” said Shaw. “The park system is the largest county park system in the state and integral to the quality of life we work to preserve in Morris County.”

“This consolidation will insure that this important resource [the parks] continues to be safe and enjoyable for all our residents,” Shaw said.

Spokesperson for the County of Morris, Brian T. Murray, said the Morris County Parks system reopened within a few months after pandemic lockdowns, including the trails, the Parks Commission reporting an uptick in use of all outdoor facilities, with a surge in use quadrupling in 2020, the parks continuing to be "heavily visited," he added.

"We consider our parks and trails to be one of the great jewels in Morris County, which is why we continue to preserve, protect and increase our trails and open space area," said Murray.

For more information about Morris County's parks, visit: www.morrisparks.net.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.