A Dangerous Job? An Examination of Violence against Conservation Officers

Abstract

Conservation law enforcement is an area of policing that has been largely overlooked by sociologists and criminal justice researchers. Some have speculated that when compared to their traditional police officer counterparts, conservation officers face greater dangers on the job. However, little if any research has been directed towards violence against conservation officers. Using a qualitative approach to data collection, this descriptive and exploratory study examined the nature of assaults on Kentucky conservation officers. Conservation officers reported that while physical assaults did occur periodically, they were relatively rare events. Verbal abuse from recreationists was much more common.