Bill Would Eliminate DNR Law Enforcement

[BOWHUNTER45]

I think we have enough enforcement when it comes to Fish & wildlife ...we need more officers on the street and get the drug dealers off the street ..I see alot of wardens and DNR officers in skagit co 

Well stats are against you. A study done in 2008 found the amount of WDFW Officers needw to double, there have been about 7 or so new officer positions created since.

DNR only has one officer to cover Snohomish County to the Canadian border.

Well I wonder how that works in Skagit Co ... I see Dnr officers everyday ....Maybe because their office is right next door 

[bigtex]

I think one oppositino this bill will see is the State Sheriff's Association. They have always been against any type of authority gain or merger of state agencies. They view it as the state LE capacity getting bigger. When it was proposed to move WDFW Enforcement to WSP, they viewed it as the creation of a state police dept.

[Special T]

Big Tex isn't that also known as the WSP? 

[bigtex]

Big Tex isn't that also known as the WSP? 

No. Washington State Patrol is not the Washington State Police.

Whereas Oregon and Alaska have the State Police which do traffic, fish and wildlife, and gambling.

Sheriff's see it as a slippery slope. One year WSP picks up fish and wildlife...then liquor enforcement...then gambling enforcement..and so on.

[Special T]

So explain the division to us all... States that have state police have no sheriff's? how and why the difference?

[bigtex]

So explain the division to us all... States that have state police have no sheriff's? how and why the difference?

Look at WA. You have city PD's, County SO's, and multiple state level LE agencies which each have their own function.

Oregon: You have city PD's, County SO's, and the Oregon State Police which does traffic, fish/wildlife, and gambling.

Basically in Oregon one state LE agency does it all, which is why they are called the "State Police". In WA you have WDFW, WSP, DNR, LCB, Parks, and Gambling each have their own role. You give WSP another role, that makes them more powerful in the view of the State Sheriff's Association

Alaska and Conneticut do not have Sheriffs. Alaska doesn't have counties and CT doesn't have county governments.

[Special T]

So does it become a "jurisdiciton" fight, or just a internal power stuggle? For example many of our court hearing are at the county level so the county can look out for what is best for themselves... IE Stevens county and the wolves...

[bigtex]

So does it become a "jurisdiciton" fight, or just a internal power stuggle? For example many of our court hearing are at the county level so the county can look out for what is best for themselves... IE Stevens county and the wolves...

It's nothing to do with jurisdiction but is a complete power struggle.

In their view its a bigger more powerful WDFW or WSP, since their role/responsibility will be getting bigger.

[bearpaw]

I'm still not sure what I think of this one....

[bigtex]

I'm still not sure what I think of this one....

I agree, there are still a lot unanswered questions, such as:

-Will the funding for these DNR Officers be switched over to WDFW?
-Will WDFW simply gain these new officers and no additional funding?
-Will WDFW be required to work X amount of hours on DNR lands?
-Who determines how much time should be spent at X location?

In Oregon (unless it has changed) the DFW pays the State Police for fish and wildlife enforcement. The budget for fish and wildlife enforcement is not included in the OSP budget made by the state.

Right now WDFW gets the equivalent of half an Officer to patrol Bureau of Reclamation lands in the Columbia Basin, BOR pays for this officer. BLM and the US Army Corps of Engineers give WDFW Overtime funding to patrol their agency lands. PacifiCorp pays for one officer in the Clark/Cowlitz County area. So landowners paying WDFW (and countys) to patrol their lands is not new.

However there are still a lot of questions with this one.

[Curly]

My initial reaction is that I don't like the idea.  Wouldn't it be best to keep DNR enforcement focused on what they know best?    They can always call the WDFW guys if they see something fishy.

[HoofsandWings]

This will broaden the authority of those exisiting dnr officers to the level of wdfw.
In talking to wdfw officers, they now have the same authority as other officers, such as sherriffs.

[bigtex]

I honestly think we will see a change regarding DNR LE before the other agencies (Liquor Control and Parks). I think the legislature has seen that WDFW LE has too many proponents out there, so they have given up on moving them anywhere.

However with DNR you only have 10 or so officers. That essentially means they don't get a whole lot of support/backing from the public, a lot easier to change things for 10 officers then the 130 for WDFW or 90 or so for Liquor Control. In my view DNR LE will either a) they eventually get general/full law enforcement authority or b) they will move to WDFW.

[bigtex]

My initial reaction is that I don't like the idea.  Wouldn't it be best to keep DNR enforcement focused on what they know best?    They can always call the WDFW guys if they see something fishy.

DNR LE Officers have full authority on DNR lands, they can do fish and wildlife enforcement, drugs, traffic, just like a WDFW Officer or Sheriff. In addition in about 25-30 counties they can act as deputies off DNR lands. In terms of experience, there isn't much a difference between DNR and WDFW Officers. Yes WDFW Officers do more fish and wildlife enforcement, but DNR does it as well. You could also say DNR Officers do more ORV enforcement, but WDFW does do it as well.

[bigtex]

This will broaden the authority of those exisiting dnr officers to the level of wdfw.
In talking to wdfw officers, they now have the same authority as other officers, such as sherriffs.

That is correct. WDFW Officers are general authority officers meaning they can enforce all state laws. Under state law DNR Officers are limited authority in that they can enforce all state laws, but only on DNR lands. In about 25-30 counties the Sheriff grants DNR Officers authority to enforce laws off DNR lands.