Recreation and Law Enforcement

The Role of Police in Contemporary Recreation

There are many types of law enforcement agents (e.g., municipal and private officers; county sheriffs; highway patrol officers; marshals; alcohol, firearms, and tobacco agents; tax enforcement agents; and various regulatory agents). The study of policing has grown to differentiate between these groups as well as between rural and urban policing, small and large departments, and community and “traditional” policing. Within agencies, considerable job specialization also exists, with police performing jobs on SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams, bicycle or motorcycle patrols, and units devoted to domestic violence, abandoned vehicles, narcotics, vice, burglary, homicide, and assorted task forces. It is questionable whether the specialized skills and investigatory techniques currently used are sufficient to handle the problems found in recreational policing or whether the nature of some crime in some recreational areas is so different (e.g., poaching, timber theft, environmental damage) that new methods of investigating and preventing them are needed. While the recreational setting has its share of traditional offenses such as rape, robbery, and theft, recreational environments can pose unique hazards or obligations for the jurisdictional department.

There also is the possibility that known or wanted offenders will move to, attempt to hide in, or set up a new criminal enterprise in recreational areas. An analysis of those committing a federal offense in Forest Service and National Park jurisdictions found that approximately half had criminal histories, and half of those had felony records (Pendleton 1996).

As recreational areas and tourist centers begin to track and report crime, the problems they face in managing increasing activities and numbers of people over greater blocks of time become more apparent. In many recreational areas, there are no longer seasonal fluctuations, as a variety of activities and increased free time make participation a year-round event. The invention of more motorized equipment—such as personal watercraft and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)—better outdoor clothing and protection, and a wider variety of sports (snowboarding, climbing) engaged in by more people have led to record use of parks, recreation areas, and their surrounding communities.

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