Greg L. Warchol

The Transnational Illegal Wildlife Trade

Transnational crime — the illicit procurement, transportation and distribution of commodities across international borders — is an area of increasing interest for criminologists. Most of the current research focuses on drug trafficking, human smuggling and money laundering. However, one serious type of transnational crime, the large scale exploitation and theft of natural resources, has yet to be studied by criminologists in detail. This research note reports the results of a descriptive criminological analysis of a specific kind of transnational criminality involving the theft of natural resources – the transnational illegal wildlife trade. The findings include a description of the organization and operation of the illicit wildlife market and profiles of the participants and their motivations and methods.

Transnational Criminality: An analysis of the illegal wildlife market in Southern Africa

Transnational crime, the illicit procurement, transportation, and distribution of commodities across international borders, is an area of increasing interest for criminologists. Most of the current research focuses on drug trafficking, human smuggling, and money laundering. However, one serious type of transnational crime, the large-scale exploitation and theft of natural resources, has yet to be studied in detail by criminologists. This article reports the results of a descriptive criminological analysis of a specific kind of transnational criminality involving the theft of natural resources-the transnational illegal wildlife trade. The findings include a description of the organization and operation of the illicit wildlife market and profiles of the participants and their motivations and methods.

Policing the wilderness: A descriptive study of wildlife conservation officers in South Africa

Of the various aspects of law enforcement, few studies have focused on those responsible for protecting wildlife conservation areas. Even less has been written on this from an international perspective where the protection of natural resources including flora and fauna can be of paramount importance for developing nations. To contribute to the literature about this subject, this research explores the role of wildlife conservation officers commonly referred to as field rangers in South Africa. Using field research methods, the authors examined the selection, training, and field operations of rangers comparing public sector officers to their private sector counterparts in a select group of game reserves.

Wildlife Crime in the Game Reserves of South Africa: A Research Note

A type of poaching of significant concern in South Africa is the trend toward the commercialized illegal hunting of wildlife for food on the nations protected conservation areas. Very little research has addressed this crime in South Africa. To contribute to the knowledge, this research note discusses select results of an exploratory field study into the illegal wild game trade in South Africa. The nature of the trade is described and a wide variety of causes is identified. Policy recommendations to both prevent and control the problem are also discussed.

Intensive supervision probation: An impact evaluation

Beginning in the early 1980s, intensive supervision probation was increasingly viewed as a popular sentencing alternative to conventional probation and incarceration for specific types of high‐risk offenders. Evaluations of intensive probation however, have raised doubts about its effectiveness in reducing recidivism among high‐risk offenders. Using a quasi experimental multiple interrupted time series research design, this study compares recidivism rates for high‐risk repeat DWI offenders in an intensive supervision probation program to repeat DWI offenders who were sentenced to incarceration. The results indicate that offenders who were sentenced to and completed intensive supervision probation had a lower rate of recidivism than those offenders sentenced to incarceration.

Securing National Resources From Theft: An Exploratory Theoretical Analysis

The poaching of wildlife resources on the continent of Africa is a serious issue, affecting the long-term survivability of endangered species and the economic stability of many counties. This exploratory study examines the crime of poaching in 6 selected research sites in the nation of South Africa in the context of routine activities theory. Findings show that routine activities theory is an appropriate theoretical construct to understand how the convergence of motivated offenders, suitable targets, and the lack of capable guardianship as measured through physical protection measures contribute to the poaching problem.

Policing Paradise: Law and Disorder in Belize

Of late, little attention has been paid by criminologists to the nature of crime and the criminal justice systems in the countries of Central America. Given its many natural attractions, favorable exchange rate, and proximity to the USA, the small Central American nation of Belize is striving to become a tourist destination. However, Belize is also beset with a very high crime rate—a function of a myriad of social, political, and economic problems and challenges. Yet, there are no studies of crime and criminal justice in this nation. This research makes a new contribution to the literature by reporting the results of an exploratory field research study on the state of crime and policing in the former British colony of Belize. The study has two major objectives. The first is to describe the structure, function, and state of the Belize National Police and the second is to identify the extent and causes of crime in Belize.

Bail agents and bounty hunters: Adversaries or allies of the justice system?

Bounty hunters are employed by the bail industry to locate and apprehend criminal defendants who “skip” bail and, subsequently, fail to appear for court appointments. While some scholars have examined bounty hunters, this work is concerned primarily with the origins, history, and legal challenges to the industry and its practices. Popular literature on this subject has created the “myth” of the bounty hunter, but it has failed to provide an accurate portrayal of the activities these individuals perform. Through the use of field research methods, this study provides a better understanding of the role that bail agents and bounty hunters play in the criminal justice system.

Federal forfeiture: Law, policy and practice

The purpose of this research is to first describe the origins and current state of federal asset forfeiture law, then examine of how property seized under the forfeiture laws for drug law violations is proceeded against by the federal government. The methodology, which is primarily exploratory, utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data. A sample of over 6000 federal administrative and judicial drug forfeiture cases are described and analyzed to construct a profile of the federal governments use of this policy. Findings raise questions about the use of forfeiture and the governments intent. Implications and suggestions for future research are included.