SUMMARY AND FINDINGS REPORT OF THE On Visitor Protection Services At Corps of Engineers Lakes December 1974 Provided in response to Section 75 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 (PL 93-251) SUMMARY AND FINDINGS OF THE STUDY This document summarizes and presents findings of the comprehensive study of the law enforcement needs and means of providing visitor protection at Corps of Engineers lakes. The Corps of Engineers contracted with PRC/Public Management Services, Inc. (PRC/PMS) to conduct the study, as authorized by Section 75 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-251), for the purposes of collecting pertinent information in the field and developing findings and alternative courses of action to assist the Corps in planning and decision-making for a future course of administering adequate visitor protection at the lakes. In particular, the objectives of the current study included the following: Analyze the present visitor protection Present alternative means for providing future law enforcement and visitor pro- In addition, to achieve a desired level of service and assist in immediate and long-range planning, standards and goals were developed for visitor protection at Corps lakes. This summary will present a concentrated description of the problem at the lakes, the response by the Corps and state and local law enforcement, standards and goals for visitor protection, and alternative courses of action for a more effective response and attendant costs. Report Chapter 6 Visitor Protection Problems at Corps Lakes In essence, a reasonably significant level of criminal activity exists at the majority of the Corps of Engineers lakes. As Table I indicates, this activity ranges from extensive environmental destruction and vandalism to low occurrence of crimes of violence against persons. The overall estimated cost of crime and damage to the man-made and natural environment at the lakes exceeds $12-$17 million annually. Less serious petty offenses and misdemeanors are predominantly related to vandalism, traffic, and ecological destruction such as the damage caused by off-road vehicles, while the major felony occurrence is larceny. Criminal activity at Corps lakes is most likely to occur: At the developed areas of the largely During the summer, on a week end or It should be noted that estimates of crime have been used in the analysis because the actual level of crime cannot be determined due to such factors as: (1) A large percentage of crime remains unreported by victims; (2) There exists confusion on the part of Corps visitors as to which authorities to report the offense; and, (3) There is a lack of reciprocal reporting between state/local authorities and the Corps. As a result, many offenses remain unreported and unrecorded. 2Property losses due to theft and vandalism are impossible to differentiate without a detailed reporting system. Previous studies have shown park vandalism to be far more costly. 3Such factors as loss of work-time due to injury, value of life and limb, cost of psychological damage, etc. are significant, however, only an intensive victimization survey could accurately assess value or cost. Report Response by State and Local Law Enforcement State/local law enforcement are providing a mixed response to criminal activity at the Corps lakes. As Table I indicates, the response to petty offenses, especially boating and fish and game violations, is sufficient. As well, the response to serious felonies against persons is generally sufficient. This latter response is also attributed to the low incidence of serious felonies against persons. The response to misdemeanors and felony property offenses is not sufficient. Nonetheless, state/local law enforcement is spending over twice as much on visitor protection at the lakes as the Corps. The primary reasons for the insufficiency of state/local services include the following: Lack of direction and recompense pro- Calls for service among their own constituency have increased resulting The various levels and varieties of Lack of visitor emergency communication 56-070 - 75 - 2 |