Illinois Department of Conservation Police Law Enforcement

Illinois Department of Conservation Police Law Enforcement

The American system of local governance for the purpose of maintaining parks and other recreational areas is political as well as democratic, and is based on certain citizens' awareness and desire to create better living conditions as far as environment is concerned, for the benefit of future generations. This entails preservation and conservation of natural parks and wildlife to a large extent. This is especially true in the case of the citizens of Illinois, who are always on the campaign for more open spaces, more parks, and more as well as better recreational facilities for its citizens. Officials are elected for the purpose of looking after and governing the problems that arise from these forests and natural forest preserves, and these officials do believe and also demonstrate the same determination and strongly idealistic beliefs of their predecessors, of the days gone by. The Illinois Association of Conservation and Park Districts has completed 75 years from the beginning of its inception, in the year 2003. It was in the year 1927 that the 'progressive founders' made up of a group of socially responsible citizens of Illinois took up the cause of conservation and met at the hall of the State capitol of Springfield. (IAPD at 75 Years)

However, it was not until the year 1928 that any formal steps would be taken in order to formalize the association and this was done by bringing in the Secretary of the Illinois Municipal League, AD Mclarty, who set about organizing a separate association for park districts, and also a statewide organization of all park district officials. The result was the creation of a 'Parks Organization Section' at the Illinois Municipal League; with a complete set of separate officials and committee members, with Mclarty as the First Secretary, where the issues of conservation could be discussed in a formal manner. The very first meeting of the newly formed statewide organization was held in Joliet and more than 38 representatives from more than 16 districts were able to attend this historic session, where issues concerning conservation and the need for protection of the existing parks and wildlife could be discussed openly and without bias.

Legislation concerning these issues were also discussed and familiarized with by the members and this became an important factor in future years when the legislation concerning conservation would come into focus. The factors of education of the officials on pertinent issues, discussions on the same topics, and the establishment of a strong network that would address all the issues without bias while keeping in mind the various legislations that were associated with conservation were all taken into consideration during this meeting, and the result was the establishment of the general standard and mainstay of these meetings of the IAPD in the years to come. It was in the year 1930 that the name 'The Illinois association of Park Districts' was registered under the Constitution, and its purpose was stated to be that of serving as a mutually co-operative agency for the purpose of the discussion of the various problems as well as administrative and legislative issues concerning the policies and the administration of the park districts. (IAPD at 75 Years)

After its first regional meeting that was held in the year 11937, a decision was taken to the effect that there must be a system of networking and co-operation among neighboring agencies, and also that non- members must be involved in the running of the Organization. It was not until the year 1951 that the historic 'Park Law Codification Bill' was approved of and signed, with the purpose of combining all the various laws pertaining to the issues of park conservatism into one single section of the state law, and in the year 1953, the association that had begun in a very small way in the year 1927 now became a full time organization, and a full time executive director, Marjorie M. Dickinson was appointed to supervise the day-to-day running activities of the organization. When the issue of 'tort liability' gained precedence over others, the then Governor Otto Kerner appointed Robert A Stuart as the organization's legal consultant to not only serve as a member of the Tort's Law Commission, but also to codify the various statutes of immunity against liability related to the functioning of the park districts.

During the years of 1980 to 1988, the IAPD passed more legislation than had been passed in its entire history from its inception in 1927, and in 1986 a Conference on the Economic Significance of Recreation was held in Illinois, and this was one of the first of such meetings to be held on a national scale at that time. In 1991 the IAPD was able to publish the 'Economic benefits of Illinois Park District Leisure Services', which was a program that had been prepared by a tem of professors of the Western Illinois University, and which resulted in the creation of the 'Illinois Parks Association Risk Services' program. In the year 1994, a special day is set apart every month for the celebration of a 'Park District Conservation Day' in order to promote the good work being carried out by the various park districts and other natural resource conservation and promotional agencies, and also the IPRA, an event that broadcasted the recreational and entertainment in the park districts, as well as displayed the wildlife and other features of the environment in a pleasing manner to the public. (IAPD at 75 Years)

In the year 1995, a Public Act 89 to 49 was signed for the purpose of the creation of the Conservation 2000 Fund that was meant to be used for the protection and conservation of the natural resources of the state of Illinois through the establishment of a partnership between the state government and the various public and private land owners of Illinois. By the year 2002, the youth as well the children of the state of Illinois had come to be involved in the different programs being organized by the IAPD, and there was a widespread response and a positive reaction to the issue of conservation, and a lot of good feelings generated towards the cause of the Illinois Department of Conservation. (IAPD at 75 Years)

It was the year 1885 when the first 'Game Wardens' were appointed by the Governor of the state of Illinois in order to maintain the law and order situation in game parks by traveling the entire length and breadth of the state by train, and thereby keeping up the law of conservation. When the department of Fishery gained in importance, wardens were hired to maintain the law in this department, and these people came to be known as 'Fish Wardens'. It was not until the year 1925 that the Department of Conservation was created, and the Departments of Fish and game joined this Department and their duties became inter-changeable, meaning that they could either protect the Fish Department or even protect Game, and these officers were known as 'Constables' initially, which later changed to the title 'Inspector'. In the year 1959 when the 'Boat Registration and Safety Act' was passed, the Inspector, or Game Warden as he was generally referred to had to take on the additional responsibility of enforcing the new 'boating' laws that had been passed to regulate the standard of boating, as well as to oversee the registrations of the new boats that were to be used. (Illinois conservation Police, Early History)

Each officer had a boat of his own that would aid him in carrying out his duties. During the mid to late 1960's, the officer once again had to cope with another increase in his duties, which were the duties of enforcing all of the Illinois State's laws regarding traffic regulations and criminal as well as drug laws, and so on within their Departments leased or partially owned or fully owned properties. In the year 1974 the title of Inspector was changed to the better suited 'Conservation Police Officer' or 'CPO'. It was in the year 1995 that the Department of Conservation joined forces with several smaller organizations of a similar kind, in order to form what is now known as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, also known as the DNR. The title of 'Game Warden' has however seemed to endure through the ages, and everywhere, this title is still used over the later one of Conservation Police Officer. Some of the duties carried out by the CPO include the overseeing and the enforcement of the various criminal and vehicle and drug laws that are violated in the Sate Parks in Illinois, the patrolling of the waters of the lakes of Illinois in order to check the safety of the equipment being used for boating, as well as the proper registration of the boats traversing the waters. (Illinois conservation Police, Early History)

The CPO is also expected to check the licenses of hunters or fishers, both commercial and non-commercial, and the possession of game or of fish within the permissible limits as ruled by law, and also overseeing the timber and forest transportation laws that protect trees and endangered species of animals living in the forests. In addition to all the above enforceable duties, the CPO is expected to also carry out various non-enforceable duties like giving voluntary speeches at meetings being held with the aim of preserving wildlife and forests and for their conservation, as well as giving important information through lectures aimed at school and college going students about the various issues concerning conservation, and also conducting or at the very least offering assistance at the various programs that are conducted with the aim of safety education in relation to areas such as snowmobiling or hunting or boating expeditions in the state of Illinois.

The CPO is also expected to help out other law enforcement agencies during various rescue or search operations, as well as to educate or provide pertinent information about the conservation laws and procedures to other enforcement officers. In addition, the CPO's non-enforceable duties comprise of attending various training programs related to his duties as law enforcement official, which include learning how to administer First Aid to the injured, survival training methods for his own self-defense, such as the use of firearms, etc., and also learning about the different areas of expertise in his department such as 'forensics', the use of 'sonars', the use of the DUI and the OUI methods for the purpose of apprehending a person who may be using or operating a watercraft while under the influence of alcohol, and also the proper methods for the investigation of the accidents that happen on board a boat or even while hunting. (Illinois conservation Police, Early History)

The DNR or the Illinois Department of Natural Resources states that its mission is to protect and manage and to conserve the various natural resources that the state of Illinois can very proudly boast of, and to provide those recreational opportunities to interested people that would not harm or spoil these natural resources in any manner. (Welcome: Illinois Department of Natural Resources) The Educational Department of the DNR was launched in the year 1995, with the primary aim of the development of educational methods and also of the training methods involved in the conservation of natural resources of Illinois, and also to provide hands on training for those persons wanting to indulge in the various outdoor activities that Illinois offers, such as snowmobiling, boating and hunting methods. (Educational information: Illinois Department of Natural Resources) The outdoor recreation in Illinois also includes birding or bird watching, biking or bicycling, and hunting and trail riding. (Outdoor Recreation: Illinois Department of Natural Resources)

Whatever be the activity of the police force and whatever may be the name by which they are referred to, the one fact that has to be remembered is that these dedicated officers make the parks of Illinois a safe and secure place in which a person could enjoy nature at her very best, without fear of the unknown hounding him at every turn. Today there are more than 40 park districts and forests and conservation parks in the state of Illinois, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, and each department may either have a single law enforcement officer, or more than 150 officers in one department alone, according to the size and the necessity. After selection and a rigorous training procedure, these officers are expected to carry out their duties of routine patrolling of the allocated areas, something that reflects the patrolling activity of the usual law enforcement agency of that area, caring for the safety of the wildlife and the habitat of the forests they are in charge of, providing safety through enforcement of legislations regarding recreation and hunting and boating, and also making arrests for both the simple charge of the operation of boats while drunk, to that of murder. (Keeping our parks a safe place to play)

The Illinois Conservation Police generally patrol those areas in and around Byron, LaSalle, and also the Quad City's Nuclear Power Station, in addition to the areas of Dresden, Braidwood and the Heidecke Lake, the Lake Clinton, and the Lake Shelbyville on a daily basis, during their routine patrols. (Illinois Homeland Security) The program called 'Target Illinois Poachers' was created by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Law enforcement in order to deal with the menace of the deadly 'poachers' who poach various animals and birds for their skin or feathers or their anything else that is valuable in the animal, without a conscience and with a total disregard for the laws that abolish poaching. Poaching can also be described as the illegal taking of a gaming or a non-gaming animal or a fish or any other resources. Such a reprehensible activity not only deprives legitimate gamesmen of their game, but also robs taxpayers of the benefits of the revenue that fishing and hunting brings about, and also deprives the future generation of the beauty of nature. (Target Illinois Poachers)

The anti-poachers program encourages the reporting of any poaching crime that a concerned citizen would wish to report to the concerned authorities, by way of providing a toll free telephone number, or through an e-mail address that would be used to report a crime that had already been committed, as different from an ongoing crime that would have to be reported immediately via the telephone. All such reports can be made in complete secrecy and the reporter's identity will be kept confidential to ensure his safety, and these reports will be forwarded to the concerned Conservation Police Officer for any action to be taken. (Target Illinois Poachers) As regards the issue of illegal baiting fields, the state of Illinois quotes this particular case as an example for the same. It was in the area of Rice Lake in the year 2002 that a particular CPO noticed that a person was carrying an over the limit of pintails as well as hen mallards with him. The CPO proceeded to issue a legal citation, and a further two persons found to be unlawfully carrying pintails without the necessary permission. (Office of Law Enforcement Activities during October 2002)

When the then president of the United States of America in 1989, President George Bush addressed the nation on the issue of drug abuse and how it can undermine the confidence of the entire nation, people began to sit up and take actual and serious notice of the fact that drug abuse was not a minor issue but was in fact a major topic of concern for the people of a country that had a lot of drug abusers. The president even felt that the entire system of justice was in fact being put through tremendous strain because of drug abuse; prisons were filled with these people, and the strength and economic resources of the nation was being severely tested, he said by drug abusers. It is a fact that there is no single community in the entire length and breadth of the world that can be considered to be entirely free of the threat of drug abuse. There are, however, certain measures and precautions that can be taken to prevent drug abuse. (People places and things)

Leaflets and pamphlets that describe in cold and clinical detail the effects of drug abuse on ones physical and mental health must be distributed, especially to vulnerable groups of people, encourage people's participation in hobbies and recreational activities such as boating and snowmobiling, etc., so that a large part of their time is spent outdoors doing strenuous physical activities, thus leaving them with very little time for self indulgence activities such as drug abuse. Meetings can be held for the purpose of lobbying and campaigning for tougher rules and regulations regarding laws on drug abuse, and the discussions can be forwarded to the concerned authorities in order to enable them to take the necessary action. (People places and things)

It is a fact that the Criminal Justice Planning Assembly of the state of Illinois decided, after a series of meetings, to formulate the essence of a plan for the state of Illinois that would deal with the meting out of criminal justice within the state based on a framework that would emphasis on a network that would allocate the funds necessary for dealing with juvenile and other types of crimes, and that would enable criminal justice to be carried out effectively. During the development of this strategy, the most important influencing factor was that of drug abuse assisted with the facts provided by the Illinois's Anti- Drug Abuse Act Edward Bryne Memorial Fund, and also of the increase in recent years of violent crimes. The facts show that drug abuse has in fact been steadily increasing over the years, and the arrest rates for drug abusers has also been increasing, in fact it has shown an increase over the arrests that were made for perpetrators of violent crimes. (Illinois's Multi-Year strategy to Control Drug and Violent Crime FFY2004)

The use of the dangerous drug 'methamphetamine' has also been on the rise, as is the use of the drug 'crack cocaine'. The use of 'cannabis' and 'marijuana' as a drug has also been on the rise, as is the use of other 'controlled substances'. Cocaine as well as heroin are not too far behind and the use and abuse of all these types of drugs poses a large-scale security risk to the common people, and therefore it has to be dealt with an appropriate amount of caution and preparation, Chicago being one of the most affected by crimes committed because of the use of drugs. For example, 68% of all the murders committed in the state are committed in Chicago alone, as are almost 33% of all violent crimes of assault. In addition, all violent crimes that involved the use of a firearm in the state of Illinois resulted in the maiming or the death of another person, especially one aged between 15 to 34 years of age. All these findings have resulted in various proposals for the prevention of drug use and abuse by a series of programs that must be followed by all conscientious citizens of the state to put a stop to the rising crime rates arising due to drug abuse. (Illinois's Multi-Year strategy to Control Drug and Violent Crime FFY2004)