Policing in the wild: the game wardens' perspective

Abstract

PurposeNumerous research studies have analyzed the difficulties of implementing community‐oriented policing (COP) in policing agencies, but there is no research examining this phenomenon in a natural resource law enforcement department. This paper aims to examine Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officers' attitudes and opinions regarding their agency's paradigm shift toward COP to gain compliance with resource‐protective regulations.Design/methodology/approachData are collected through the use of 43 semi‐structured interviews and ten ride‐alongs to determine the officers' commitment to use of COP in resolving contentious natural resource disputes.FindingsThis paper reaffirms findings of other COP studies regarding the need to have clear communication about officers' roles under COP and the necessity for the department to reformulate its evaluations of officer production and progress.Practical implicationsOther regulatory agencies can apply the lessons learned from this research, which demonstrate that capitalizing on veteran officers' positive experiences and rewarding officers engaged with COP are important steps to consider when attempting an agency shift from feared “regulator” to a trustworthy “collaborative problem solver”. Based on the conclusions of this research, policing and other regulatory administrators should not assume that their veteran officers are unwilling to accept a change in their roles and duties, and seasoned employees can also be determined leaders when training new recruits.Originality/valueIn a stark contradiction to other COP research, the paper reveals that veteran officers are significantly more likely to accept and utilize COP approaches as opposed to their younger counterparts.