Law Enforcement in the National Park Service: The Ranger's Perspective

Abstract

The duties of the National Park Service have grown dramatically since its creation in 1916. One area in which the Park Service has had to assume a major new role is in law enforcement. This paper addresses the issue of law enforcement in the National Park Service from the perspective of the rangers. It finds that rangers appear to accept the role of law enforcement but that organizational and personal characteristics account for centrifugal forces which do not fully support the law enforcement role.