[3] The largest single component of parkland maintained by the department is the 2,765-acre (1,119 ha) Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx.

The capital budget is dedicated solely for new construction projects, as well as major repairs in parks that have a useful life of more than five years and cost at least $35,000.

The following year in his 1920 annual report to the mayor, Commissioner Hennessy once again pushed for a full-time park police force.

Inspector Blackie was injured on Columbus Day 1919 while attempting to arrest two men poaching song birds in Van Cortlandt Park.

Despite the objection of the New York City Police Department, Commissioner Hennessy established the first Park Patrol Harbor unit when he obtained two small motor boats from the Navy which he immediately put into service and had park staff patrol the waterways of the Hutchinson River.

[8] In 2001, the department underwent an investigation after the U.S. Attorney's Office received complaints from employees that they had suffered employment discrimination.

The lawsuit alleged that NYC Parks violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964; according to the complaint, the NYC Parks' senior managers sought out and promoted whites to management positions without announcing job openings for those positions or conducting any formal interview processes.

PEP officers are also responsible for physical site inspections of NYC park concession facilities to assure the concessionaires compliance with state laws.

They have very limited Peace Officers authority pursuant to New York State Criminal Procedure Law § 2.10(27) as listed in Chapter 13 subsection (C): Special Patrolmen.

This unit is made up of private citizens who volunteer their time by working with officers of the Parks Enforcement Patrol.

"[14] As an IRS 501C Corporation, the Auxiliary solicits funding to purchase horses, tack and provide training for both the Volunteers and the Professional Officers.

Since inception it has provided several hundred thousand dollars towards the operation of the Mounted Unit, including the Capital Construction of a new barn.

The PEP also have a security trained service that provide participants with experience needed for future employment in the private sector.

[18][19] The Longfellow Park renovation, also in the Bronx, is budgeted at $3.25 million and includes tree houses for children, bike racks, a sprinkler system for summer recreation, and a mini-state.

[22] Approximately 500 concessions currently operate in parks throughout the five boroughs, and they generally fall into two categories: food service and recreation.

The food service concessions range from pushcarts selling hot dogs to restaurants such as Tavern on the Green and Terrace on the Park.

In the 1950s and 1960s, public sector unions organized most park workers which was considered at the time the first major political defeat of Robert Moses.

Yorkville Sports (YSA) was one of those that helped maintain athletic fields prior to use and assumed responsibilities previously handled by the public sector.