Criminal Investigation

SEVENTEEN

eighth edition

Agricultural, Wildlife and Environmental Crimes

Swanson Chamelin Territo

McGraw-Hill
2003, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Discuss the prevalence of timber theft Explain agrichemical theft Discuss cattle and horse rustling Outline several methods of horse and cattle identification Summarize measures to prevent rural and agricultural crimes Distinguish between situational and professional poachers Understand investigative techniques used in wildlife crimes List and describe the characteristics of hazardous waste Discuss methods of investigating environmental crimes

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DIMENSIONS OF AGRICULTURAL, WILDLIFE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES Ranchers, farmers, and others living in rural places are often the victims of thefts Nationally, rustlers steal about 20,000 cattle worth $12.1 million Our national parklands are also victimized by plant poachers It must be observed that person who live in rural areas and on farms, groves, vineyards, and ranches not only are crime victims but are themselves occasional offenders

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TIMBER THEFT
The U.S. Forest Service concedes that it doesn't know how much timer is stolen from national forests The value may be as much as $100 million worth annually and the theft may amount to about 1 in every 10 trees cut down Investigations into the illegal cutting of timber involve a full range of investigative techniques

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BONE RUSTLERS
Unauthorized fossil hunters, who loot public and private lands Unauthorized fossil hunters, who loot public and private land

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AGRICHEMICAL
Any of various chemical products used on farms; includes pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides

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THEFT OF AGRICHEMICALS
The theft of agrichemicals is a multimilliondollar-per-year problem nationally The exact type of agrichemical taken varies by geographic region, depending on what the predominant crop is Distributors in particular have been vulnerable to the hijacking of trucks carrying agrichemicals, with resulting losses of $200,000 or more per incident The investigator must become familiar with the legal supply channels and the principal agrichemicals that are used in his or her region Some farmers will engage in the theft of agrichemicals or will readily purchase such commodities at bargain prices
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LIVESTOCK AND TACK THEFT

Cattle Rustling
The majority of thefts are committed by one or two people who take the animal for their own use

Horse Rustling
More than 50,000 horses are stolen each year as compared to about 20,000 cattle About 60 percent of the stolen horses end up in slaughter plants, where they are processed and sold as meat for human consumption in Europe and Japan

Tack Theft
Tack is equipment that is used with horses; the most common items are saddles, bridles, and horse blankets
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LIVESTOCK IDENTIFICATION
In any livestock theft case one key to a successful prosecution is the positive identification of a specific animal as belonging to a particular owner Hot-Iron Branding
Hot-iron branding is a method of identification that has been used in this country for nearly 400 years

Ear Tags and Injectable Identification

Bar-code ear tags for cattle were an advancement for herd management

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LIVESTOCK IDENTIFICATION (cont'd)

Freeze Branding
Special freeze-branding irons are chilled using dry ice or liquid nitrogen and then applied to the hide

Earmarks
Earmarks are often used in conjunction with branding

DNA Profiles
DNA profiles of expensive horses and bulls are common as a theft deterrent

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CATTLE IDENTIFICATION FORM

Uniformed police officers often take the initial report of a livestock theft These officers often have little knowledge of livestock Forms such as the one shown are helpful to the officer in documenting livestock identifiers
(Source: Courtesy Los Angeles County, California, Sheriffs Department)

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HORSE IDENTIFICATION FORM

This form serves the same purpose as the cattle identification form Uniformed officers must receive training in the use of this form in order to use it effectively Information captured on the form can greatly assist the identification process which is critical in a prosecution of livestock theft

(Source: Courtesy Kern County, California, Sheriffs Department)

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BRANDS
On livestock, registered combinations of numbers, letters, marks and shapes that establish unique identifications

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METHODS OF READING BRANDS

Brands are registered with different agencies in various states
Some are registered with state agencies Others are registered with local courthouses

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EXAMPLES OF CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES TO PROTECT AGAINST RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL CRIMES

Farm equipment theft

Participate in equipment identification programs Do not learn equipment in remote fields

Timber theft
Post the property Check to see if any timber has been cut

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EXAMPLES OF CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES TO PROTECT AGAINST RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL CRIMES (cont'd)

Agrichemical theft
Rural dealers should employ security personnel during months with large inventories Be suspicious of persons offering unusually good buys on agrichemicals

Livestock or tack theft

All livestock should be marked for identification Avoid leaving animals in remote pastures

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POACHING
The illegal taking or possessing of game, fish, and other wildlife

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ELK KILLED FOR THRILLS

Situational poachers are motivated by opportunity and circumstance Situational poachers killed the elk pictured as no attempt was made to retrieve the antlers or any meat Professional poachers take more game than situational poachers and make more profit

(Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish Department)

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INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES USED IN WILDLIFE CRIMES

Information is an essential commodity in combating poachers Uniformed wildlife officers patrol in boats and cars Wildlife officers also employ intensive hunting patrols

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INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES USED IN WILDLIFE CRIMES (cont'd)

Vehicle check stops are strategically set up Fishing patrols check to see that no protected or endangered fish are being taken In a common wildlife violation, nonresidents of a state claim residency, to pay less for licenses Sometimes investigators must pose undercover to collect information

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ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME: THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK

There are roughly 18 major federal environmental laws that form the basis for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs From this maze of laws three patterns of enforcement emerge
Acts over which only the federal government has jurisdiction Acts for which there is concurrent federal and state jurisdiction Acts for which there is unique state and/or local jurisdiction

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HAZARDOUS WASTES
Solid, liquid, sludge, and manufacturing byproduct wastes that are ignitable, corrosive, reactive, and/or toxic; may pose serious threat to human health and the environment if improperly managed

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CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZARDOUS WASTES

The illegal dumping of hazardous wastes is a civil and criminal violation Police personnel should have a general awareness of the characteristics of hazardous waste materials When hazardous materials are encountered police should summon firefighters or hazardous materials disposal personnel

(Source: Courtesy Environmental Protection Agency)

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TSD CRIMES
Any illegal acts involving the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous wastes

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METHODS OF INVESTIGATING ILLEGAL DUMPING OF HAZARDOUS WASTES

Patrolling officers should be alert for signs that indicate the possibility or presence of illegal dumping of hazardous waste
Officers should approach suspected hazardous-waste spills and toxic-waste sites with the wind at their backs and from the highest ground reasonably available

Leads on illegal hazardous-waste sites may be offered by disgruntled or former employees occasionally by a current employee

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METHODS OF INVESTIGATING ILLEGAL DUMPING OF HAZARDOUS WASTES (cont'd)

Surveillance is an excellent tool for gathering information, as it can establish illegal practices and the person involved with them For most environmental crimes, it is necessary to form a team to conduct the investigation

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