Parking rangers reveal battle scars

It’s been revealed that being punched, stabbed and even run over is increasingly all in a day’s work for NSW’s parking rangers. But now some are calling for police-like weaponry before they next go out on the job.

The United Services Union (USU) has released its first comprehensive survey into council parking officer safety, which shows almost half of employees suffered physical violence while on the job, with long-term psychological harm resulting for many.

A City of Sydney parking ranger wishing only to be named as Kimon said that verbal abuse was almost a daily occurrence for many colleagues. In his six years on the job Kimon, 47, has never been seriously injured – but he has been pushed, spat at, received death threats, and has had coffee thrown at him from building windows.

The report, titled Moving on for safety, said 60 per cent of the incidents of abuse and assault were increasing, while more than half of respondents said the assaults were becoming more violent in nature.

“On average you could cop it every single day of the week, every time you’re out on shift, at least. Depending what area you’re working in,” said Kimon. “You don’t even have to be booking a car to get abuse. Just walking down the street you can get sworn at.”

USU secretary Ben Kruse said the range of abuse directed towards rangers on a daily basis was eye-opening. “We would like to see a targeted and coordinated approach to stopping all forms of abuse, including a campaign aimed at informing the community of the positive role rangers play and the community benefits of their work,” Mr Kruse said.

The report also recommends Councils review policies that could put rangers in dangerous situations, such as powers to confiscate alcohol and an emphasis on revenue raising.

Rangers are calling for self-defence training and public education campaigns, as well as batons and capsicum spray, and access to professional counselling.

But Kimon says arming rangers would only encourage violence. President of the NSW Local Government Association, Genia McCaffery, agrees, saying many councils already provide rangers with appropriate training and protective equipment.

The report warns that sending parking officers out alone can be extremely dangerous, recommending the use of a ‘buddy system’, with a minimum of two people per shift. Sydney City parking rangers operate in pairs after dark, and work in groups of up to four people in ‘hot spots’ such as Kings Cross.

City rangers are currently instructed to walk away from volatile situations or call for backup. The City is also looking into minor self-defence training for parking officers.