Are Park Rangers Considered Law Enforcement?

[Gangster_Octopus]

Just like the subject line asks…are they?

A related question: If a crime like murder is committed at a federal park like Yellowstone, who has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute?

[Cordial_Jim]

Law enforcement: Some rangers–particularly those employed by public agencies, such as the US National Park Service–have police powers and enforce laws in the wilderness. Park rangers sometimes carry firearms–particularly in remote areas or when engaged in deterring illegal hunting or poaching. In some developing countries, the park rangers patrolling natural preserves may be heavily armed and function as paramilitary organizations against organized poachers or even guerillas. In US National Parks, US National Park Rangers are often the primary police agency; their services are often augmented by the US Park Police, particularly in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Source: Wiki

[pravnik]

@Gangster Octopus

Just like the subject line asks…are they?

They can be. The National Park Service is one of several divisions of the Department of the Interior that is legally authorized to act as a law enforcement agency. Some Park Rangers are comissioned law enforcement officers, such as Ranger and Special Agent, Protection Ranger, or Investigator.

@Gangster Octopus

A related question: If a crime like murder is committed at a federal park like Yellowstone, who has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute?

The federal government would have the authority to prosecute, and a U.S. District Court would have the authority to hear the case.

Title 16 § 24. Jurisdiction over park; fugitives from justice

The Yellowstone National Park, as its boundaries now are defined, or as they may be hereafter defined or extended, shall be under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States. All the laws applicable to places under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, shall have force and effect in said park. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to forbid the service in the park of any civil or criminal process of any court having jurisdiction in the States of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. All fugitives from justice taking refuge in said park shall be subject to the same laws as refugees from justice found in the State of Wyoming.

See also *Bowen v. Johnston*, 306 U.S. 19, 59 S.Ct. 442 (1939).

[chappachula]

National Parks are federal property, so they are not in the normal jursidiction of the local or state police forces from the nearby towns.That means they are responsible for their own law protection.
In the 3 parks I worked for, some of the green uniformed rangers were fully trained policemen in addition to being nature guides. (It’s not hard to identify them–they’re the ones with pistols on their belts, just like regular cops.)

When several million people visit a park each year, there are law enforcement problems-- with drug users, public intoxication, burglaries, and more serious stuff, too. Some if not all of the national parks have jail cells for holding arrested suspects.

[UncleBeer]

Hell, I was once arrested (for a park curfew violation - I was in the park after it closed at sunset) by a Park Ranger employed by the city of Toledo. They had the power to hold me until a regular police officer was called to the scene.

[ouryL]

FBI?

Seriously, PLEA .

[Billdo]

Some friends of mine are a National Park Service Park Ranger and a Park Police Officer here in New York City (Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Parks).

The U.S. Park Police department provides law enforcement in a limited number of National Park Service areas. I believe they only cover NPS sites in the New York City, San Franciscio and Washington DC areas. They are a professional police organization and full-time federal law enforcement officers.

In other areas, Park Rangers take up the duties of law enforcement. I believe that some Park Rangers are designated and trained law enforcement Rangers, and have the authority of a federal law enforcement officer, in addition to other Ranger duties they may be assigned. Other Rangers are considered interpretative Rangers, and focus on park management, cultural interpretation and education, natural resources, and other functions besides law enforcement.

In park areas that are not patrolled by the Park Police, the law enforcement Rangers on staff would handle the policing function.

[Duckster]

@chappachula

National Parks are federal property, so they are not in the normal jursidiction of the local or state police forces from the nearby towns.That means they are responsible for their own law protection.

In the 3 parks I worked for, some of the green uniformed rangers were fully trained policemen in addition to being nature guides. (It’s not hard to identify them–they’re the ones with pistols on their belts, just like regular cops.)

National parks may come under various juridictions, including exclusive (such as in Yellowstone), concurrent and proprietary. More often than not, national parks in and around urban areas have concurrent jursidiction.

And some of us who had full law enforcement powers as a Ranger seldom carried a weapon, except to annually qualify. So never assume that a US Park Ranger without a weapon at the moment is not a law enforcement ranger. I can still recall those sunny afternoons sitting on a horse next to the main road in Yellowstone waving at the tourists with one hand as they sped by, while my other hand held a radar gun.

[Bill_Door]

I knew a park ranger in the national park system who bragged about having law enforcement powers. I kidded him that yeah, and in addition to that he had to keep Yogi and Boo Boo out of the picnic baskets. He was not amused.

[pravnik]

@Duckster

And some of us who had full law enforcement powers as a Ranger seldom carried a weapon, except to annually qualify. So never assume that a US Park Ranger without a weapon at the moment is not a law enforcement ranger. I can still recall those sunny afternoons sitting on a horse next to the main road in Yellowstone waving at the tourists with one hand as they sped by, while my other hand held a radar gun.

Is that as cool a job as it seems (because it seems pretty damn cool!)?. Also, do you need a forestry degree?

[InternetLegend]

In August of 2005, a New Mexico State Park Ranger shot and killed a man during a confrontation over the non-payment of a $14 campsite fee. This particular ranger has since been charged with second-degree murder because the man was shot in the back, but park rangers do have the training and the weapons to use deadly force if necessary.