What laws can our wardens enforce?
New Mexico
I tried to google it but couldn't find much. Mainly that they tend the 16 week law enforcement academy and they are sworn in as peace officers.
I ask because now that football is over I find myself catching "Lone Star Law" on Sundays. In Texas (as well as other states) the wardens have the ability to enforce any law of the state. So if they get a call of someone suspected of poaching, they tail that person and wait for them to commit a moving violation. Then they pull that person over for failing to use a turn signal only to find a poached doe underneath a tarp in the truck.
I also saw an episode where a warden pulled over an ATV where the rider had a rifle swung around him. He was cited for hunting without a license, then was asked to perform a field sobriety test. Let's just say it ended in a bad day for that idiot.
This will be interesting to follow. For some reason I figured that they had the authority of a State Police Officer.
--Bill
I just find it interesting that they use common laws as a tool to catch G&F violations. They pulled a boat over for not having a current registration tag on it. Then they found fish that were under the legal size limit. Fish were confiscated, citation issued.
I'm almost certain that our wardens are just as you describe. They have full authority to pull over speeders, anything, just like a police officer. Pretty sure I learned that sitting through hunter's safety with daughter.
Conservation Officer can pull you over for speeding if they can prove it. Not many have a calibrated eye.
I do know that the local "fish cops" were on scene when the Aztec High School shooting happened...
Carl's correct. Basically a an officer of the law! Now which laws they chose to enforce is a totally different issue..
I was under the same impression too, just never really heard of it being used in this way here. Whats funny is that most of the time the Texas wardens don't even cite them for the violation used to pull the vehicle/boat over. Just game laws or arrestable offences like DWI or drug possession.
I think most LE cross over from time to time as needed. A state cop can be involved in game law violations, but normally leave that to the fish cops.
DOT on the other hand - getting to be a pain to see them pulling over passenger vehicles to write "cites" for speeding...
In OR our game wardens are in the "game branch" of the state police and have that authority. In WY, wardens don't write under title 6 (criminal) statutes, just the title 23 (game).
Aron Snyder intervewiewed a game warden on Kifarucast who used to do under cover work in different states and made it sound like they have close to state police authority.
"Kifarucast - Leo The Lion" Interesting listen if you guys like that kind of stuff. He talks about some crazy shit. Like busting guys in the bear gallbladder trade.
