Game warden perceptions of change in conservation law enforcement
| Published date | 01 September 2016 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X16642450 |
| Date | 01 September 2016 |
| Author | Stephen L Eliason |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Game warden perceptions
of change in conservation
law enforcement
Stephen L Eliason
Department of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies, Montana State
University Billings, Billings, MT, USA
Abstract
Game wardens are responsible for protecting natural resources by enforcing fish and
wildlife laws. Mounting evidence suggests they may be assuming traditional police duties
that leave them with less time for wildlife law enforcement activities. In an effort to
understand the situation better, this exploratory study took a qualitative approach to
data collection and examined the perceptions of game wardens toward the work they
perform. While the results were mixed, the majority of wardens in the study indicated
that their duties were expanding. Findings provide support for the idea that conservation
law enforcement is becoming more like traditional policing.
Keywords
Conservation law enforcement, game wardens, Montana, policing, wildlife
Literature review
The loss of wildlife resources to poaching is a common problem in contemporary
society, both nationally and internationally (Blevins and Edwards, 2009; Crow et al.,
2013; Filteau, 2012; Green, 2011; Moreto and Lemieux, 2015). However, in comparison
with their traditional police officer counterparts, relatively little research has been
directed toward the study of conservation law enforcement officers who enforce natural
resource laws (Shelley and Crow, 2009; Thomas et al., 1999; Warchol and Kapla, 2012).
Known as ‘game wardens’ or ‘conservation officers’, these individuals are specialised
Corresponding author:
Stephen L Eliason, Department of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies, Montana State University Billings, 1500
University Drive, Billings, MT 59101, USA.
Email: seliason@msubillings.edu
The Police Journal:
Theory, Practice and Principles
2016, Vol. 89(3) 218–226
ªThe Author(s) 2016
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DOI: 10.1177/0032258X16642450
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