Arrest? warn? educate? Correlates of conservation officer discretionary decision-making

Discretionary decision-making among traditional law enforcement officers has been the subject of a large amount of extant police research. However, conservation officer discretionary decision-making has received much less scholarly attention. Conservation officers are those that specialize in the enforcement of natural resources laws but have experienced a broadening of their role to encompass more traditional law enforcement duties. Using a sample of conservation officers from fifteen state-level departments of natural resources and departments of conservation, this study examines conservation officer decision-making in relation to specific conservation contexts, as well as from a more traditional policing perspective. Results show that conservation officer discretionary decision-making is influenced by contexts specific to conservation-related duties, as well as more traditional policing contexts. Our findings provide valuable insights for natural resources agencies seeking to enhance their law enforcement operations.