Wildlife officer enforcement activities in Colorado, 2005-2014

Despite three decades of research into green/environmental crime, little is known about the enforcement activities of conservation officers (COs). What is known about CO behavior has been compiled from small samples and qualitative studies. Addressing this limitation, this study examined 10 years of wildlife enforcement data from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department (CPW; 2005–2014). In contrast to qualitative studies of CO behaviors, this analysis indicated that COs spend the majority (85%) of their enforcement time responding to wildlife-related violations. Among the court processed cases, the most common responses were fines and dismissals. At trial/hearing, courts dismissed 30% of CO citations. Among those found guilty (67%), fines were the most likely (79%) and most serious punishments. Results from this analysis differ from those obtained from qualitative studies, and indicate the need for additional quantitative assessments of wildlife crime data before conclusions can be drawn about the enforcement of environmental/green crimes.