Service Law Enforcement
Law enforcement is essential to virtually every aspect of wildlife
conservation. The Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service
efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve
migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries,
combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation.
Service law enforcement today focuses on potentially devastating
threats to wildlife resource-illegal trade, unlawful commercial
exploitation, habitat destruction, and environmental contaminants.
The Office of Law Enforcement investigates wildlife crimes, regulates
wildlife trade, helps Americans understand and obey wildlife protections
laws, and works in partnership with international, state, and tribal
counterparts to conserve wildlife resources. This work includes:
- Breaking up international and domestic smuggling rings that
target imperiled animals
- Preventing the unlawful commercial exploitation of protected U.
S. species
- Protecting wildlife from environmental hazards and safeguarding
critical habitat for endangered species
- Enforcing federal migratory game bird hunting regulations
and working with states to protect other game species from illegal
take and preserve legitimate hunting opportunities
- Inspecting wildlife shipments to ensure compliance with laws
and treaties and detect illegal trade
- Working with international counterparts to combat illegal
trafficking in protected species
- Training other federal, state, tribal, and foreign law enforcement
officers
- Using forensic science to analyze evidence and solve wildlife
crimes
- Distributing information and outreach materials to increase
public understanding of wildlife conservation and promote compliance
with wildlife protection laws
When fully staffed, the Office of Law Enforcement includes 261
special agents and 122 wildlife inspectors. Most are "officers
on the beat" who report through seven regional law enforcement
offices. A headquarters Office of Law Enforcement provides national
oversight, support, policy, and guidance for Service investigations
and the wildlife inspection program; trains Service law enforcement
personnel; fields a special investigations unit; and provides budget,
management and administrative support for the Office of Law Enforcement.
The
Clark R. Bavin
National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory
conducts scientific analyses that support federal, state, and international
investigations of wildlife crime. The Office of Law Enforcement
also maintains a
National
Wildlife Property Repository
, which supplies abandoned and forfeited wildlife items to schools,
universities, museums, and non-government organizations for public
education, and operates the
National
Eagle Repository
, which meets the needs of Native Americans for eagles and eagle
feathers for religious use.
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