NCJ Number
164739
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: (1996) Pages: 3-25
Date Published
1996
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Crime and criminals in national parks and forests were studied by means of observations, reviews of records of the United States Forest Service and National Park Service, and interviews with Federal police officials.
Abstract
The research took place in a national forest and contiguous national park in the western United States during 1992-94. Results revealed that crime is common in the forest and park and involves a wide variety of property and violent offenses. However, the types of crimes are shaped by the unique physical, legal, and social characteristics of this environment. The research did not support the view that Federal land management law enforcement officers are heavy-handed and unreasonable in their approaches. Although clear tension exists between local residents and Federal employees who enforce the shutdown of the forest to logging, clear cooperation exists among local residents, local police, and Federal officers. Findings also indicated that proposals to disarm Federal land management police officers seem unjustified given the presence of guns in natural settings and the clear restraint used by the officers observed in this research. Tables and 25 references