NCJ Number
75550
Date Published
1978
Length
63 pages
Annotation
Crime in Federal recreation areas was discussed in this February 9, 1978 hearing before the Subcommittee on Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources of the House Committee on Government Operations.
Abstract
The subcommittee's chairman provides background information on the subject, explaining that the Federal Government, which owns and manages more than one-third of the nation's land, is not adequately prepared to deal with crime on its lands. The Comptroller General of the United States and officials from the General Accounting Office (GAO) discuss GAO's June 1977 report on crime in Federal recreation areas, which revealed that 85 percent of the law enforcement employees surveyed in Federal recreational areas said that crime was a serious problem. Printed statements and testimony are included from the chief law enforcement officer at Yosemite National Park in California; the project manager of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Illinois; the chief of the Recreation Resource Management Branch, Ohio River Division, Army Corps of Engineers; and the regional special agent of the U.S. Forest Service for California. Among the topics discussed are the rise in serious crime and the interaction of Federal employees with local law enforcement personnel. Data tables and correspondence are included. Appendixes contain a summary of the GAO report and a letter from the Office of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army.