NCJ Number
130711
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 39 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1991) Pages: 24-27
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The duties of the six law enforcement rangers assigned to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia are described.
Abstract
The rangers provide police, emergency medical, and rescue service to an area of 2,200 acres of varying terrain in 3 different states with over one million visitors a year. The law enforcement rangers are armed and have full power of arrest. Each attended the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA and is a certified EMTs and trained in rock cliff and river rescues and fire fighting. They also act as game wardens on the undeveloped land in the park. Aside from their gun belts, they are dressed identical to the 15 interpretive rangers who act as civil war historians, naturalists, tour guides, and toll takers. In addition, the rangers work at establishing good community relations with the local residents. With the advent of newer forms of recreation, the rangers deal with different problems such as nuisances, drownings, and river rescues created by the use of inner tubes on rivers. Mostly they have one or two arrests per year. However, the 1990 arrest of Paul David Crews, the Appalachia trail killer of two hikers, by the Park Rangers at the south end of the foot bridge over the Potomac River made national headlines. 6 photographs