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Park ranger who caught pervert gets jerked around

By Natalie O’Neill
The Brooklyn Paper
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Photo by Andrew Hinderaker / The Chief-Leader
Urban Park Ranger Andrew Marsala said he was reprimanded by his superiors instead of praised after he caught a man masturbating in Prospect Park.
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Photo by Elizabeth Graham
The ranger who collared a jerk masturbating near this Prospect Park playground was reprimanded, not praised.

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A gutsy park ranger who captured a gun-slinging man masturbating in Prospect Park says he was reprimanded by the city for taking matters into his own hands.

Instead of saying “good job,” urban ranger Andrew Marsala’s Parks Department bosses scolded him for not immediately calling the cops, Marsala told the civil-service newspaper, The Chief on Monday.

Orchestra of St Lukes

“They don’t like it when we do enforcement,” he said. “They said, ‘Why didn’t you just call the police?’ I was like, ‘And let him get away?!’ ”

Earlier this month, Marsala spotted 53-year-old Glen Perouza from Queens pleasuring himself in broad daylight near the park’s Third Street playground, according to cops.

The fearless ranger — who was leading a children’s tour at the time — confronted the alleged pervert, who bolted into the woods.

Marsala chased Perouza down, grabbed him and held him until cops came. Officers say they discovered something even more disturbing: The creep was packing a loaded handgun and bag of weed.

BoroDeal

After the whole ordeal, a city councilwoman recommended that Marsala be honored for the heroic act — but the Parks Department apparently doesn’t share the same admiration for its fearless staffer.

“No comment,” said an agency spokeswoman when asked about the daring woodsman’s award. She did not respond to questions about why he was reprimanded or what punishment he received.

All of which does not bode well with Marsala, who risked his life to keep Brooklyn’s backyard safe.

“All they had to do was say, ‘Good job,’ ” he said. “I would have been happy with that.”

Reach reporter Natalie O'Neill at noneill@cnglocal.com or by calling her at (718) 260-4505.

©2011 Community Newspaper Group

←Midwood: BREAKING: Di Fara is back!
→Bridge ‘Park’: HERE THEY ARE! Slideshow gives you the goods on Bridge Park hotel.

Reader Feedback

ty from pps says:
Hey Natalie -- Nice one-sided editorializing once again. You are such an awesome "journalist" and your "editor" is really great too!
Nov. 28, 2011, 9:36 am
trace from park slope says:
When I was a Park Ranger, they specifically told us to 'run away' from any danger - it was sort of comforting..But as a human, walking around the Park, I used to chase those freaking masturbators, they pissed me off - they always have no courage, and immediately run off.
One of my friends says they were getting what they wanted from me, just getting a reaction.
I don't know..If I had caught them, I def. would have whacked them with whatever available, to make them put that thing away..
They were like the park bird, in the eighties, so common..Glad to hear they have not died out! (kidding!)
Nov. 28, 2011, 9:55 am
Peter from Park Slope says:

I wouldn't expect this kind of pervert
to be carrying a gun-so the Park Rangerwho was only doing the right thing shouldn't be reprimanded.
He was brave and should be commended for it.
It's easy to after the fact say oh you
should have done this or that, but when
real evil happens one is not given that
luxury.


Nov. 28, 2011, 10:53 am
adamben from bedstuy says:
kudos for stopping and catching him; who knows what these pervs would do next; i guess the parks honchos are protecting their own; pedophiles.
Nov. 28, 2011, 10:53 am
William from PS says:
and there goes my donation to the park this year.
Nov. 28, 2011, 11:23 am
ty from pps says:
Do none of you see why it would be *wrong* for the Park Dept to recognize this as appropriate behavior of one of their employees?! Amazing.

By even saying "good job" to this individual it reinforces inappropriate behavior. Park Rangers are not trained to do security. Simple as that. Their job is to call in to the police. THAT is their job. He did not do his job.

In this case it ended well. What about other cases? What about other Park Rangers that are not as fit or able, but have received the message that acting like law enforcement is expected and rewarded?!
Nov. 28, 2011, 11:35 am
Jet Jones from ParkSlope says:
@Ty
This guy stopped a pervert with a loaded weapon. He did the right thing. What is wrong with you?
Nov. 28, 2011, 11:49 am
William from PS says:
@Ty

so you're saying that stopping a person masturbating near children is "inappropriate" behavior?

in your world, if he was molesting a child, i guess it would be appropriate for the ranger to run to the cops rather than stop the act.

you idiot.
Nov. 28, 2011, 11:55 am
ty from pps says:
Jesus Christ, Jet and William. Did you go to the same school of hyperbole and misinformation that Natalie O'Neill graduated from?

There was no direct, immediate physical harm taking place. The gun was discovered later. The pervert was masturbating. Truly disgusting. However, not an emergency situation. What WOULD be an emergency is if the pervert stabbed, shot or hit the park ranger and injured or killed him. How do you think the children's group he was leading would react to a bleeding or dead park ranger?!

What is the *right* thing is to contact the police. Like I said, it worked out really well in this specific situation, but it may not have. The park rangers are NOT trained for law enforcement.

If a child was being touched (molested, raped) or even being approached... that is a VERY different situation. VERY different.
Nov. 28, 2011, 12:28 pm
William from PS says:
nice try at being the voice of reason, ty, but no one's buying it.

you're an idiot.
Nov. 28, 2011, 1:42 pm
johnnyboy from windsor terrace says:
if ty had a daughter who was watching the masturbator, he would have advised her it was just a guy doing penis aerobics, after all no harm was being done.
Nov. 28, 2011, 1:48 pm
Jet Jones from ParkSlope says:
@Ty

You seem to be one of those people who think the police and only the police are capable of protecting our community. The police are hardly efficient at providing protection to us from the scum that occasionally finds its way into our little corner of Brooklyn (whether that’s a result of incompetence or a stretched under funded police department is another discussion.) I very much doubt the perv would have been apprehended if he had simply called the police department.
If someone is brave enough to risk their safety for the safety of others, that person should be thanked not reprimanded.
Nov. 28, 2011, 1:50 pm
JudahSpechal from Bed-Stuy says:
They should be praising this guy. How many people that toll collectors (non- the uniform) can arrest a drive if the suspect they are under the influence? However they are discourage to do so because of too much paperwork & civil liberties.
Nov. 28, 2011, 2:02 pm
ty from pps says:
It's all really interesting how one-sided you're all being... based on the very positive outcome. I'm sure you would be either saying the opposite or very quiet if something did not work out as well.

I absolutely think folks should watch out for each other. As a citizen, I actually commend his actions. HOWEVER, from organization perspective.... they are absolutely reacting the right way. This is an exception. This sort of behavior is *not* acceptable. Behavior is shaped by rewards. If he and others are rewarded for behavior that they are not trained or selected to do (unlike the police who are), others will behave in ways counter to their training and ability in order to garner the same praise. This is bad.

Again, it worked out this time. Just like the store clerk pulling out a shot gun from under the counter works out sometimes... other times you have a dead clerk. You would call the successful clerk a hero. The dead clerk.... not so much.
Nov. 28, 2011, 2:07 pm
William from PS says:
thanks for the lesson on creating the correct incentives, ty. you must be really smart, knowing how to create the right economic climate for organizations.

you idiot.
Nov. 28, 2011, 2:57 pm
ty from pps says:
Hey William -- thanks. I'm confused by your last two words, but thanks all the same.
Nov. 28, 2011, 3:09 pm
C says:
ty, clearly you have never requested the NYPD for anything. Once the NYPD starts doing their job, perhaps others will be more likely to call them.
Nov. 28, 2011, 3:19 pm
johnnyboy from windsorterrace says:
ty, this story is about someone pulling out something other then a shotgun ,do you ever stop rambling on about everything,

it's been said there are people that can light up a room with their presence , why do i feel you empty them.
Nov. 28, 2011, 3:22 pm
ty from pps says:
Johnnyboy -- Way to miss the point, boy-o.

Everyone else -- It's great you guys are pulling out the all the stops with pointless snark... too bad none of you took a breath and *read* what I wrote. Instead you read what you wanted to, didn't even think for a moment, and used it as an opportunity to reinforce your preconceived notions. Good on ya!
Nov. 28, 2011, 3:47 pm
William from PS says:
yes, ty, everyone is wrong, and only you can see things from the perspective of the parks dept.

you're always right, just like your pretty mommy said when you had no friends.
Nov. 28, 2011, 4:15 pm
ty from pps says:
William -- don't be a douche. But apparently I am the only one that can see this from a different perspective.... *any* different perspective.

I will say it yet again -- your opinion of the situation would have been VERY different if it had turned out differently (i.e., not positively for the park ranger or anyone that may have been near them)

I'm really only suggesting temperance in you ridiculously one-sided and overzealous reactions. For example, YOU, William, have said you will no longer donate to the parks because of this. Really?! (Though, I'm sure you've never donated a cent... folks like saying things like that for effect.) Damn the Parks Department for defending standard operating procedures that was designed to protect their employees and park users!! Damn them!
Nov. 28, 2011, 4:28 pm
david from park slope says:
ty fromm pps... you will never be known as a hero. Cuz u r probally, more than likely a liberal who is smarter than everyone else, and a coward... better safe than sorry srew everyone else
Nov. 28, 2011, 8:23 pm
Paulie says:
OMG. He had weed on him. What a creep.
Nov. 28, 2011, 8:37 pm
Kat from Brooklyn says:
Once I was jogging in the Park around 3pm on Sunday. There was a naked guy who would jumped on random people and attack them, he also attacked the women. The park employees were sitting in the van and witnessed the whole situation but did not intervene other that call the police that took half an hour to come. The other male joggers had to pull this man off from the woman, otherwise she would've been raped..Park people did not seem to care..so sad
Nov. 29, 2011, 12:52 pm
Charles from Bklyn says:
This park ranger has my support. Further, we should train park rangers to handle law enforcement in the parks and be done with this nonsense. This is a good example of government getting in the way of doing the right thing. Furthermore, everyone has the right to stop crime. It's OUR CITY ... not a game board for a turf war.
Nov. 29, 2011, 2:19 pm
Voice of reason from Around the way says:
Ok, I will be the voice of reason here cause I can see both sides and I can also speak from expericene. What the ranger did was a great thing in hind sight. No one is saying that he should not have approached this guy and done something. Park Rangers enforcment training is limited and they do not posses the needed tools to act as police officers. If this person was to have pulled out his gun and pointed it at the ranger what would he have done? He would end up like the auxilary cops a few years back. I would love to see Rangers crossed trained as police officers because they will go into places of the park that police would not dare. Instead of bickering about if it was the right thing to do? How do we make the park safer? Ponder these questions:

Should Park Rangers Carry Guns?
How will you go about ensuring more rangers are in your park?
Will you care as deeply about this topic in a few months as you do now?

So anyone up for a productive conversation?
Nov. 29, 2011, 5:27 pm
Kat from Brooklyn says:
Sometimes ... or most of the times, when you do the right thing, there are haters out there who will try to put you down instead of giving praise..they will try to make you doubt yourself...Look at Christ..a perfect example. Till these days they crucify him for his humane behavior..So don't worry Andrew. It counts what you did..Be proud and do it again when such a situation arises. You saved someone's daughter from being exposed to this nasty pedophile and this will make him think twice before he does this again.
Nov. 29, 2011, 7:27 pm
Hey from Prospect Park says:
Ty... US army killing innocent people in the middle east is also ok? THAT is their job?? Because of people who do "only" their job, this world is full of nastiness. There is no ifs..he did what everyone should've done, on or off the job.
Nov. 29, 2011, 7:52 pm
JT from Brooklyn says:
Park Ranger Job Description according to the Feds...

Park Rangers supervise, manage and perform work in the conservation and use of resources in national parks and other federally-managed areas. Park Rangers carry out various tasks associated with forest or structural fire control; protection of property; gathering and dissemination of natural, historical, or scientific information; development of interpretive material for the natural, historical, or cultural features of an era; demonstration of folk art and crafts; ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS and regulations; investigation of violations, complaints, trespass/encroachment, and accidents; search and rescue; and management of historical, cultural, and natural resources, such as wildlife, forests, lakeshores, seashores, historic buildings, battlefields, archaeological properties, and recreation areas. They also operate campgrounds, including such tasks as assigning sites, replenishing firewood, performing safety inspections, providing information to visitors, and leading guided tours. Differences in the exact nature of duties depend on the grade of position, the site's size and specific needs.
Nov. 29, 2011, 11:36 pm
John from Sunset Park says:
JT,

That description is for Park Rangers in NATIONAL PARKS While the Ranger from this situation works in a CITY PARK. Different job requirements, and much different training.
Nov. 30, 2011, 2:49 am
Glen Perouza - Master Park Bater from ParkSlop says:
Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?
Nov. 30, 2011, 12:08 pm

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