The Department of Fish and Game
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Among
the proposals being considered are about 40 action items
under the heading of "Compliance" and fitting this summary
of their goals: "Consistent and publicly visible enforcement
and compliance, supported by highly trained personnel and
extensive public awareness of statewide rules, regulations
and associated public trust benefits."
The proposed action items
include, in the document's exact words:
-- Utilize efforts by
partners to promote DFG mission (i.e. The
Humane Society
enforcement efforts, resource conservation district land
owner outreach), with proper firewalls and considerations of
public perception of partners
-- Increase DFG presence
in the local community including public outreach efforts and
local and regional resource management efforts
-- Provide education to
other law enforcement agencies about DFG laws
--
Increase the number of
wardens
(requires addressing collective
bargaining issues)
-- Increase DFG ability to
gather evidence as needed to enforce laws ...
-- More or more effective
enforcement partnerships
--
Increase both fines and
penalties with fines used to pay resources needed to
implement
--
Create law enforcement
specialty units within the DFG law enforcement division
comprised of additional enforcement
positions (must
have additional funding in place for the PY's)
1.
Environmental Crimes Unit specializing in the investigation
of Fish and Game Code sections 1600 and 5650 (water
pollution and streambed habitat destruction)
2. An
overt Detective Unit to lead complex statewide and
interstate poaching investigations, streamline intelligence
on repeat offenders, and use of specialized surveillance
equipment to effectively apprehend serious poachers
3. Increase the size of
the Special Operations
(Covert) Unit (SOU)
-- Activity - make sure
everyone knows the laws and the consequences of breaking
them
-- Improve coordination
with AG's Special Prosecutor
-- Educate district
attorneys and judicial branch about DFG laws
--
Develop a cadre of
experienced prosecutors to charge and try these cases
(funded by fines?) (e.g. circuit DA system). Same as create
special district attorney capacity focused on F&G Code
violations (housed in Sacramento) to assist all county
district attorneys ...
-- Assign DFG wardens to
coordinate with California District Attorneys' Association (CDAA)
to ensure appropriate and consistent prosecution. Could
ensure consistency with all 58 counties and enhance
Environmental Crimes Circuit Prosecutors Project, sponsored
by the CDAA (coalition of district attorneys cross-deputized
in multiple counties to specialize in prosecuting poaching
and other environmental crimes)
-- Refine the Uniform Bail
and Penalty Schedule - California Rules of Court (for the
California Fish and Game Code and the Title 14 California
Code of Regulations) and include additional code sections
not mentioned in the Bail Schedule. Require distribution of
the F&G/T14 Bail Schedule to the respective courts in all 58
counties
-- Review types of
violations to determine which should be raised from
misdemeanor to felony (such as abalone violations). Work
with wardens to do this task
Again, these bullet points
are not my words but were taken directly from the vision
document. The document also contains language about
improving communication with the public and hiring staff
regionally to match the regional make-up. However, there are
no provisions that I could find requiring wardens or other
Fish and Game officials to be trained on the finer points of
property or adjudicated water rights, or observing and
respecting the jurisdiction of local law enforcement
entities.
