A couple of days before a certain round celestial body passed in front of another certain round celestial body, the New York State Park Police added a nice “round” number – 20 new graduates – to its ranks. Some of these new officers were put right to work – sent to the path of eclipse totality to help with an influx of visitation. Nearly one million people visited New York’s state parks and historic sites between April 6 and 9 to witness the eclipse.
After the eclipse, the new officers will spend the next couple of months in field training. They are assigned regionally to learn and prepare to serve State Parks’ 250 properties. Last year, our agency saw record attendance of 84 million, so the need for personnel has not slowed. The new officers will receive supervised training from senior officers, followed by assignment to patrol responsibilities.
If you’re visiting a New York State park or historic site in the Hudson Valley this year, you might have a poetic encounter!
New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) is presenting a new temporary public art project, Poetry in the Parks, to celebrate the Parks Centennial. Poems selected by the Poetry Society of America (PSA) and OPRHP are installed in three New York State parks and one historic site stretching from Westchester to Columbia County.
ClermontFDR State ParkLake TaghkanicWalkway Over The HudsonWalkway Over The HudsonThe five poems of the inaugural Poetry in the Parks installation.
This inaugural installation of Poetry in the Parks includes works by Andrea Cohen at FDR State Park in Yorktown Heights; U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and New York Poet Laureate Patricia Spears Jones at Walkway Over the Hudson State Park in Highland and Poughkeepsie; Robert Hass at Lake Taghkanic State Park in Ancram; and Ishion Hutchinson at Clermont State Historic Site in Germantown. Integrated with the architecture found in the parks, the selected poems are meant to be discovered by visitors to help them reflect on the beauty of their natural surroundings.
On April 8, New York State Parks and Historic Sites welcomed people from around the world to share a once-in-a-generation total solar eclipse. Thousands of people enjoyed a rich, memorable experience thanks to the hard work of our staff over a two-year period.
Public Information Officer Angela Berti of the Niagara Region led this effort on behalf of State Parks and represented our agency on the statewide Eclipse Task Force.
Our Park Police used their expertise in peacefully managing large crowds to keep our visitors safe. Countless staff worked behind the scenes and on the front lines to open selected campgrounds for the occasion, plan educational programming, get the word out to the public, make sure our parks were in top condition, and ensure the safety of our visitors.
As Chief of Staff and Commissioner Pro Tempore, I am filled with pride and gratitude for all the hard work of our staff in preparing for this remarkable event. Enjoy reliving the day with photos from around our parks and sites!
With its spectacular scenery, Letchworth State Park is one of the most beloved parks in our system. But a crucial part of its story is the power of thinking differently.
Letchworth State Park.
William Pryor Letchworth, the park’s namesake, was deeply interested in epilepsy, traveling the country and the world in the late 1800s to study how it was treated. It’s not unreasonable to imagine that Letchworth would be proud to know that the park bearing his name is now home to a first-of-its-kind nature trail designed to meet the needs of people with an often misunderstood and stigmatized condition: autism.
Since 2002, New York State Parks and Historic Sites have been proudly protected by a team of four-legged officers and their handlers. The K-9 program commenced in 2002 with two K-9 teams trained in explosive detection stationed on Long Island. The team expanded from there, adding four more K-9 teams stationed in the Niagara and Saratoga-Capital District Regions, and in the Hudson Valley, all primarily trained for finding explosive devices. This inaugural generation served with distinction until 2014, marked by the retirement of K-9 Chase from the Palisades Region.
Park Police K-9s at work: Kairos sweeping Northwell Health Theater at Jones Beach, Travers at Saratoga Spa State Park, Niko investigating a crime scene in the Buffalo-Niagara region.
The K-9 force is larger and more diverse than ever today, with six K-9 teams throughout New York. The police dogs range in breeds and specialties, serving not only the State Parks system but the communities they live in, often being called in to help at large events and to find missing people. There is no typical day for a K-9 team. One day, they could be patrolling a park, and the next, tracking down perpetrators. Regardless of their task, they are well-prepared with each new pup undergoing extensive training to ensure they can handle whatever comes their way. Training ranges from explosive detection, search and rescue, tracking, and other disciplines well-suited for this unique breed of officer.
However, each pup is only half of the team. Their handler, a New York State Park Police Officer, is specially trained to work with K-9s and they must work in sync to be successful. Many of the handlers can only describe the relationship they build with their K-9 companions as “special” and their passion for their partners is clear. These teams work and live with each other every day. When not at work, these pups live life much like any other dog would, living at home with their handlers and their families, relaxing, playing, and receiving plenty of pets.
Let‘s dive into the biographies and backgrounds of each of these canine crimefighters, highlighting their unique personalities and showcasing some of the amazing things they have done to make the our state parks safer.
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 