Defuse the West

[katqanna]

Defuse the West - Public-land employees are easy targets for a violent, government-hating fringe.

There is an interactive map to see some of the reports.

 

[Cornell2012]

I can't stop reading these reports. Some of them are pretty frightening.

 

[shoots-straight]

I read the assault report that occurred in Montana. I'm not sure of how a Forest Service Cop has the right to check tagged animals or not. There should always be a elected representative in charge of any law enforcement. I don't see one with Forest Service Law officials.

 

[JLS]

Wow, that Lewis & Clark Nat'l Forest report is something else. It's amazing to me how stupid people are, given the amount of information they have available to them. I can't believe that idiot stating that he has to be advised of his rights before he is arrested. Sorry pal, not even close.

He's damned lucky he didn't get shot.

 

[belly-deep]

I read the assault report that occurred in Montana. I'm not sure of how a Forest Service Cop has the right to check tagged animals or not. There should always be a elected representative in charge of any law enforcement. I don't see one with Forest Service Law officials.

I don't know for sure, but its probably this:

http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/assimilative-crimes-act/

 

[gwhunter]

It's scary the way some people react to getting a ticket for not having an ORV sticker. Seems like I would rather have the couple hundred dollar ticket as opposed to going to jail...

 

[Ben Lamb]

I read the assault report that occurred in Montana. I'm not sure of how a Forest Service Cop has the right to check tagged animals or not. There should always be a elected representative in charge of any law enforcement. I don't see one with Forest Service Law officials.

Or the CIA, FBI, BATFE, etc.

Except there are elected officials in charge: Congress & The President.

Just like the Fish Cops, State Troopers, etc have the Gov at their helm.

Not sure you want an election for Sec. of Ag or Sec. of Interior.

 

[ringer]

Quite a few of those were people yelling insults and some were downright threats and lawlessness. I have to admit that I was not too fond of the dozens of FS cops that blocked every boat ramp and park in the state during the shutdown. Not at all necessary and cost more to do that so they did not exactly make friends among the peeps. In general I think people respect authority and these cases are really a minority.

 

[dalbo]

I don't know for sure, but its probably this:

http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/assimilative-crimes-act/

The Forest Service LEOs on the forest I work for are also sworn in as county deputies. In AZ the game and fish laws are part of the other state laws (AZ Revised Statutes, Title 12 I think). Any AZ sworn LEO could enforce state G&F laws, a common example would be the Highway Patrol or Sheriff's deputies issuing salvage tags after a vehicle/deer collision.

I read the HCN story a few days ago and It's scary stuff. I'm lucky in the sense that I live in a large metro area and when I leave work I have a lot more anonymity than a FS employee who lives in a small town.

I've never experienced any threats or violence like mentioned in the article but I can understand how alarming it would be. As someone who interacts with the public on a daily basis I can tell you that for every one incident mentioned in the article we have thousands and thousands of positive or at least indifferent interactions with the public every day.

 

[noharleyyet]

Not sure you want an election for Sec. of Ag or Sec. of Interio

.

Elections have consequences.

 

[belly-deep]

I don't really think that article is anything significant or all that shocking.

LEO's of all types encounter crazies of all sorts daily. Just part of the job...

 

[Ben Lamb]

.

Elections have consequences.

It's why you vote 20 times on Dancing w/ the Stars, no?

 

[WT_in_MT]

There should always be a elected representative in charge of any law enforcement.

Just because they're elected doesn't mean they're straight-shooters. This one may not get re-elected next week but only after he took the law into his own hands.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/defense-in-road-supervisor-s-dui-case-golden-valley-sheriff/article_313f6757-226c-51c4-a9eb-c05c797bb859.html#comments

 

[shoots-straight]

Or the CIA, FBI, BATFE, etc.

Except there are elected officials in charge: Congress & The President.

Just like the Fish Cops, State Troopers, etc have the Gov at their helm.

Not sure you want an election for Sec. of Ag or Sec. of Interior.

Not the same! Those agency's are all under the executive branch of government.

A Forest Service Cop has no one directly accountable to the voters. To far insulated from repercussions and in a imperfect world could go rouge with no one to answer too. I've never liked them getting involved in anything other than patrolling their interests, which is the Forests, and the trees, and other resources at their helm.

 

[JLS]

That sword cuts both ways. Having the head of a law enforcement agency subject to the political whims of society is not always a good thing either. I've seen more than one sheriff's office make very poor decisions because of political pressure.