Portland Parks & Recreation maintains more than 156 parks spanning 12,000 acres — including 62 community gardens, 137 playgrounds, 218 basketball hoops, 28 splash pads, and 158 miles of trails. Those parks are an irreplaceable resource for the hundreds of thousands of residents who rely on them for learning, play, relaxing, and recharging. Park rangers like Andres Lucas-Robles (people call him Lucas) are in the field every day. Trained in de-escalation, first-aid, and communication, they provide a positive presence in the parks, resolving issues like aggressive behavior, vandalism, drinking, drugs, and off-leash dogs so people can have fun, stay safe, and build community. We caught up with Ranger Lucas on patrol in Cathedral Park.
How did you become a park ranger? I used to have a job working security at Pacific Northwest College of Art in the Pearl District, and I would walk through the North Park Blocks every day on my way to campus. I got to know a ranger there and he encouraged me to apply for a job with the City. Hard to believe that was almost nine years ago.
What do park rangers do, exactly? We're goodwill ambassadors for the parks. We make sure the parks stay positive and everybody's able to enjoy them. Out of the top destinations to visit in Portland, about half of them are parks. We try to keep a safe and fun environment for everybody.
What’s your favorite park? I love the downtown parks. I’ve gotten to know people there, develop a rapport so I can connect with people and help them. Like if someone’s unhoused, we can connect them to a shelter or places to get food, clothing, take a hot shower, get a haircut. My favorite is probably the South Park Blocks. It’s one of the first parks I remember coming to as a child. The other day I met a guy who’d just been released from the hospital and he’d been robbed. He had nothing but the backpack he was carrying. He came up to me and asked for help in Spanish. I used my Spanish to help him. I didn’t have all the answers for him, but I got him connected to some resources like Night Strike. And I bought him lunch at one of the food carts. That made me feel good because I like helping people.
Why do you like helping people? I was the eldest of four. Early on I had a lot of responsibilities put on me to take care of my siblings. People helped out my family when I was growing up, and so now it is my turn to give back.
Do you see a lot of folks who need help? Every day. If I see someone having a rough day, I check on them. The other night I had a gentleman at Waterfront Park. He was on a bench, crying. I ask him, “Are you doing OK?” He says, "No, I'm not. Actually I don't want to be here.” And he was contemplating suicide. He told me what he was going through. [[Park rangers call the mobile crisis team when someone is having a mental health crisis.]] While we were waiting for the responders, I asked him, “Is there a song I can play for you?” That song immediately changed his mood. Being kind to somebody can change their night, their week, their month. That’s why I like being downtown. Not just working with unhoused folks, but everybody. All shades of the rainbow.
What do you like most about being on patrol? I love hearing people laugh. I love it when people lay down in the sun. That means the park feels safe enough for you to come here and relax. I have little ones, so I love watching kids have fun. Sometimes they ask me to play soccer with them. Why not? Let's kick the ball for a little bit. One time some kids got their ball stuck in a tree. I helped them get it back.
What's your favorite thing to do in the park with your own family? Now that it's summertime, we like to go to splash pads a lot. My kids like to ride on their scooters. I love watching them building confidence to make new friends or do something that they haven't done before. My daughter will say “I can’t do it, Daddy, I can’t.” And I tell her, “I know you can do it.” And then she’ll do it and be like “I can do it.” I love that.