DNR Commissions Two New Officers

[bigtex]

Two weeks ago the DNR commissioned it's two newest officers, Scott Essman and Doug Price.

Essman served with the Washington State Patrol for 25 years. His primary duties will focus on DNR-managed lands in Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, Wahkiakum, and portions of Pacific and Lewis counties in southwestern Washington. His patrol area includes more than 450,000 acres of state trust lands, conservation areas, and other forestlands. Essman replaces an officer who left DNR to pursue other opportunities.

Price, who recently served as Police Chief of the City of Forks, is a 25-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol. His primary duties will focus on DNR-managed lands in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason counties. Within his patrol area are more than 430,000 acres of state trust lands, conservation areas, and other forestlands. Price fills a newly created position to increase DNR’s law enforcement and response capacities on the Olympic Peninsula.

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/RecreationEducation/News/Pages/2012_03_21_law_enforcement_nr.aspx

[Alpine Mojo]

So both officers will focus on DNR managed lands...compliments of the Discover Pass.    Isn't that special?

[bigtex]

So both officers will focus on DNR managed lands...compliments of the Discover Pass.    Isn't that special?

You may actually have a point. Unlike other state agencies DNR does not actually have a law enforcement budget set by the legislature. DNR essentially creates their own budget for LE, this is often funded by grants, funding from other DNR programs, etc which is not very stable. So whereas you can look at the WDFW budget and see how much $ they are getting, you can't with DNR. So the DNR LE budget can vary quite a lot from year to year depending on grants they receive.

Since the position that will focus on the Oly Pen counties is "new" I would bet that some of that funding does come from Discover Pass $

[bobcat]

This is a good thing, the more enforcement the better. If I do buy a Discover pass, I want everyone without it to be fined.

Not only that, but there are all sorts of illegal activities taking place on state lands- timber theft, cedar boughs, firewood, brush pickers without permits, dumping garbage, poaching, meth labs, marijuana grows, etc.

[Alpine Mojo]

#1 on the list of duties for the new officers (from the link posted):
"Monitoring the use of the state’s Discover Pass on vehicles visiting DNR-managed recreation lands"

I'm sure shutting down meth labs will be a priority for them, right after they are done checking the parking lot.

[bobcat]

Sounds good to me. I don't suppose meth heads will bother buying a Discover pass, do you? If they can keep all the riff raff off state lands, then I actually won't mind paying the $30.

[Alpine Mojo]

If they can keep all the riff raff off state lands, then I actually won't mind paying the $30.

Scott Essman...patrol area includes more than 450,000 acres

Doug Price... patrol area are more than 430,000 acres


Warning to riff raff, your days are numbered   

[bobcat]

Good point, but at least now there someone to call if you see a violation.

I guess it shows they just need to hire more officers.

Maybe if they sell enough Discover passes they will!

[THINK_N_ELK]

Good point, but at least now there someone to call if you see a violation.

I guess it shows they just need to hire more officers.

Maybe if they sell enough Discover passes they will!

They don't need to sell more passes, just reallocate the monies so it is a little more evenly split up.  Instead of giving Parks $25.20 of every pass sold, and only $2.40 to both DNR and WDFW.

If I use a state park it's to camp, so I'll pay the camping fees. 

[Miles]

If I do buy a Discover pass, I want everyone without it to be fined.

"IF"        

[bobcat]

If I do buy a Discover pass, I want everyone without it to be fined.

"IF"      

Right. I haven't decided if it's worth it yet. All the areas I'm planning to hunt this year don't require it. I can easily avoid driving onto DNR land to hunt, but it would nice sometimes if I want to take my daughters for a drive. Or they may want to go to the state park, to swim in the lake. I got by without buying it last year, probably can this year as well. If I could buy it and then use it on any of our four vehicles, I would have already bought it. I don't think it's fair that it was restricted to one vehicle, and I don't think it's fair that it's now restricted to only two.

[Kain]

So both officers will focus on DNR managed lands...compliments of the Discover Pass.    Isn't that special?

You know if I knew that the money that the WDFW and DNR got from the pass would be used for more officers only I MIGHT go ahead and buy one.  That is the one thing I have been angry with these departments about is not spending enough on LEO.  But having the pass just to pay for meter maids to check for the pass seems a little ridiculous it might keep out the bad elements.   

[pianoman9701]

I bought one and am glad they're using the money for more enforcement.

[WSU]

Here is my thought, and the same goes for the WDFW enforcement always checking parking passes: why do our tax dollars go to pay law enforcement to be meter-maids?  We give them trucks, guns, training, and higher salaries to be parking cops?  Sounds like a terrible use of my money.  Go hire some 10 per hour person in a Geo to write parking tickets and make better use of law enforcement and my money.

[buckfvr]

Ya know.....if you see something that appears to be illegal activity, and decide to call it in....great.  On the other hand, if you see a vehicle without a permit, and you call it in.....IMHO, you are a friggin moron, squealie piece of shat.  People need to learn to leave people be......

[pianoman9701]

Here is my thought, and the same goes for the WDFW enforcement always checking parking passes: why do our tax dollars go to pay law enforcement to be meter-maids?  We give them trucks, guns, training, and higher salaries to be parking cops?  Sounds like a terrible use of my money.  Go hire some 10 per hour person in a Geo to write parking tickets and make better use of law enforcement and my money.

Sometimes criminals are caught by handing out parking tickets. Sometimes they're caught with expired tags. If LE is out there making sure people have their Discover passes, they're also available if needed. Discover is the law of the land. Get over it, buy one or don't, and move on.

[WSU]

Here is my thought, and the same goes for the WDFW enforcement always checking parking passes: why do our tax dollars go to pay law enforcement to be meter-maids?  We give them trucks, guns, training, and higher salaries to be parking cops?  Sounds like a terrible use of my money.  Go hire some 10 per hour person in a Geo to write parking tickets and make better use of law enforcement and my money.

Sometimes criminals are caught by handing out parking tickets. Sometimes they're caught with expired tags. If LE is out there making sure people have their Discover passes, they're also available if needed. Discover is the law of the land. Get over it, buy one or don't, and move on.

Are you saying the most effective way to law enforcement to do their job and catch criminals is to run around writing parking tickets?  If so, that is a completely ridiculous argument.  If not, I'm glad you agree with my point.  I'm not saying they shouldn't check for the parking pass while they are out and see a parked car.  But, having them focus on that is stupid.  If we want meter-maids, lets hire meter-maids. 

[pianoman9701]

No WSU, that's not the best use of their time. But writing parking tickets is part of their job. While they're out there, if they're not catching poachers, they can fill the coffers with money from people stealing my services.

[bigtex]

If they can keep all the riff raff off state lands, then I actually won't mind paying the $30.

Scott Essman...patrol area includes more than 450,000 acres

Doug Price... patrol area are more than 430,000 acres

That is one of the issues with DNR Law Enforcement, coverage area. If it were 430-450K acres in one blocked up area there wouldnt be a big problem, but with DNR your coverage area is several counties which can take hours to go to.

This is very similar to BLM in WA. In WA BLM owns about 430,000 acres, however it is spread across all eastern washington counties, they now have two LE Rangers cover it, and most say they need more.

So with these two agencies it can take HOURS to get from their home to the actual area they patrol

[bigtex]

Here is my thought, and the same goes for the WDFW enforcement always checking parking passes: why do our tax dollars go to pay law enforcement to be meter-maids?  We give them trucks, guns, training, and higher salaries to be parking cops?  Sounds like a terrible use of my money.  Go hire some 10 per hour person in a Geo to write parking tickets and make better use of law enforcement and my money.

Here is some info. DNR and Parks are considered "limited authority" LE agencies. WDFW is a "general authority" agency. Essentially limited authority agencies are limited in what laws they can enforce, or where they can enforce laws. General authority agencies have authority to enforce all laws within their jurisdiction. Under state law general authority agencies have to follow strict guidelines in regards to hiring their LE personnel. In comparison, with limited authority agencies most of the regulations are up to the actual agency.

With DNR and Parks they can essentially give some type of LE power to any employee. DNR for many years has given authority to many of their employees to enforce DNR only laws, whereas their LE Officers can enforce DNR and some other laws. Last I heard DNR had about 80 employees with this limited DNR authority. These employees only have citation authority. These DNR employees CAN issue Discover Pass citations.

Parks has had this authority to give LE power to any employee however they are not going to actually do it until this year. Due to the recent staffing changes in parks they are hiring two different levels of seasonal park rangers, Ranger 1 & 2. Ranger 2's are what most of us are use to, firearm carrying with full arrest authority within the park. Ranger 1's will not have arrest authority however their "main" mission is enforcement of park only rules, such as no discover pass, no boat launch pass, etc. They are going to be your "meter maid" for parks.

In comparison with WDFW any LE employee they hire must go through a full polygraph, psychological assessment, etc. Back when WDFW was a limited authority agency their wildlife area managers did have authority to write citations. But when WDFW became general authority this authority was taken away per state law.


So DNR and Parks can, and do have employees who can certainly spend 100% of their time on writing these Discover Pass tickets and you don't have to give them any type of LE training like you would the LE officers with those agencies, and they do not get anywhere near the pay. However with WDFW you can't really do that.

[bigtex]

Ya know.....if you see something that appears to be illegal activity, and decide to call it in....great.  On the other hand, if you see a vehicle without a permit, and you call it in.....IMHO, you are a friggin moron, squealie piece of shat.  People need to learn to leave people be......

 

The violation for no pass is a parking citation. Just like a parking citation on your city street.

[bobcat]

Ya know.....if you see something that appears to be illegal activity, and decide to call it in....great.  On the other hand, if you see a vehicle without a permit, and you call it in.....IMHO, you are a friggin moron, squealie piece of shat.  People need to learn to leave people be......

 

The violation for no pass is a parking citation. Just like a parking citation on your city street.

It's a pretty dang expensive "parking citation"!!!   

I was really PO'd when I got a $20 parking ticket in Olympia, just for being 5 minutes over the time I had in the meter.   

[ICEMAN]

I have learned to avoid down town olympia.

[bobcat]

I have learned to avoid down town olympia.

Yeah, it's like they must have just sat there and waited for the time to run out, and then wrote the ticket. Because I came out of the building where I had my class, less than 5 minutes after the time was up, to put more money in it, and had a ticket. And the parking police were not anywhere around.