The role of conservation law enforcement officers in the last half of the 20th Century expanded from enforcement powers used to ensure proper wildlife and fishery management to that of fully-certified state peace officers. Today, Florida Conservation Law Enforcement Officers are responsible for enforcing all state laws and applicable federal statutes. Officers have traditionally been provided latitude on when and where to work, largely because of the limited number of available positions to patrol vast geographic areas. Urban sprawl and public expectation for prompt service are causing managers to question the traditional stance of allowing such latitude. To further explore this issue, 50 state conservation and marine law enforcement agencies were asked to provide information on their specific shift philosophy. Thirty-eight responded and provided further insight regarding shift assignments and effective conservation law enforcement.
