The majority of Corps lakes are presently authorized to have on staff a ranger with citation authority. The ranger contingent at most Corps lakes appears to be a generally concerned and involved cadre of individuals, as well as being relatively well-equipped to function in their positions and to perform dutiies which are involved in Title 36 enforcement. For example, about 57 percent of all respondent lakes to the survey questionnaire maintained one or more four-year college graduates on their ranger staffs, 40 percent maintained two-year college graduates and an additional 21 percent presently have full-time rangers who are enrolled in college or junior college. As well, an additional 42 percent of all recreation lakes have full-time staff with law enforcement working experi ence. Time Devoted to Visitor Protection The amount of time which rangers devote to the visitor protection duties and responsibilities is an indication of both the level of visitor protection problems and needs of the project, and the emphasis which is placed on such ranger duties. There is, nevertheless, a great deal of variance between the estimate of time which rangers devote to these chores regardless of the demographic location of the project. Questionnaire results indicate most clearly a variance between the amount of visitor protection time spent during the summer, which is the highest, and that which is spent during the remainder of the year. This finding is, of course, expected in view of the fact that all lakes average between 62 and 72 percent of total visitation during the summer periods regardless of the size or location of the project. Nearly 12 percent of respondents indicate that they spend no time at all on visitor protection while 13 percent spend more than 80 percent of their time on these activities. Disregarding the extreme cases, a pattern developed which indicated that the average ranger spent between 40 and 60 percent of his time on law enforcement and visitor protection during the summer and 10 to 20 percent of his time in the off-season. 56-020 0-75 - 8 A survey of available law enforcement or visitor protection/ security equipment available at Corps locations reflects the same generally low priority which is given to visitor protection needs at the project level and funding priorities at other echelons. For example, 58 percent of all Corps ranger trucks and jeeps and 68 percent of all other passenger vehicles are not equipped with police radios. The result, as revealed in some cases in field interviews, is that rangers have no effective means of communication readily at hand in case of emergency. The best alternative is frequently the telephone with which to call the project office or the local police, if in fact a public telephone is easily available. In addition, the lack of communications in the form of two-way radio increases the feeling, if not the reality, of isolation of rangers during the performance of their field work. In large and generally remote projects this is particularly pronounced, as well as during late evening field shifts and for female employees who are often in the field performing technician duties. Trucks and other passenger vehicles are quite plentiful at most locations and at least several of these should be equipped with permanent radio gear. Portable remote units which can utilize these vehicle mounted sets are also currently on the market and would be well worthwhile in the most heavily used areas. Alternative means of travel of particular utility in parks and recreation areas are almost completely unavailable to Corps areas. For example, in only two areas are horses used; bicycles are available in only six project locations; and two-wheel motorcycles in only three others. Of particular importance is the fact that all these approaches are more economical than the traditional passenger car or cargo van. But also, these means of transportation are more effective tools of public relations, mobility, and access in other than public use areas, and in increasing Corps visibility and the visibility of the public. Presently, project areas are limited in their transportation availabilities, generally to one or more passenger vehicles and a number of utility and cargo Only the four wheel drive vehicles are capable of use in the remote vans. or otherwise undeveloped areas, and even then access to many areas can only be accomplished by foot. In the larger project areas and among those which have the greatest visitor protection problems, off-road modes of transportation, such as horses and dirt bikes, should be considered. For the summer technician, who is assigned a limited area, use of a bicycle would be more economical and convenient. Water patrol equipment is somewhat more plentiful in respect to the apparent need. As previously noted most states assume the largest share, or the total responsibility, for water patrol and frequently in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard. The resources of these agencies, organization and management, law enforcement capability, and authorization make water control and safety a minimal concern at the majority of Corps lakes. The Corps has access to the water by means of boating equipment at over 80 percent of the lakes surveyed. In most cases, however, they do not perform regular patrol but leave this operation to state and local authorities. This situation is further discussed in Chapter 7, Related law enforcement equipment such as firearms or riot sticks are extremely rare at Corps sites, and understandably so in view of the lack of legal authority to utilize these weapons in the course of their regulatory duties. Consistent with the foregoing findings is the relatively low level of budgetary funding devoted to security and protection. For example, nearly 40 percent of all projects provide no personnel salaries for security and protection, and an additional 40 percent provide only between 1 and 9 percent toward this purpose. In only six separate cases do personnel expenditures in this context exceed 19 percent of total budgets. In part, these low personnel costs for law enforcement reflect a number of lakes which do not have a ranger contingent and a great many others whose rangers are primarily involved in other types of recreation duties at the lake. ditures involved in operating costs. In this case 95 percent of all lakes incur less than 10 percent of their operating costs through security and protection functions. In other areas the situation is essentially the same; contract maintenance services and construction connected with security and protection are not of measurable significance nine times out of ten, and about 25 percent of all lakes spend between 1 and 9 percent of their budgets for equipment. Ranger Perception of Citation Authority The sufficiency of the authority of Corps rangers is a question upon which there is a significant amount of disagreement at the project level. The data in Table 6-9 represents project personnel response to the statement that: "The citation power and ranger authority is sufficient to maintain order at the lakes." Data indicates that overall, nearly half of the projects disagree, indicating the need for additional authority, while approximately one-third agree with the statement. Interpolation of data in Table 6-9 also reveals a difference in opinion between those at urban lakes and those at rural lakes. Over half of those in rural areas feel or strongly feel the need for additional authority, while only about one-fifth of those at urban lakes feel the same way. Yet, reference to Table 7.1 in Chapter 7 indicates that urban lakes more frequently indicate that they have a law enforcement problem and issue a proportionately greater number of warnings and citations. There is at least one plausible explanation for this difference of response between urban and rural lakes. That is, while urban projects are more prone to spill over of crime from nearby areas they also have a greater number and variety of law enforcement agencies upon which to call for assistance. Previous data indicated the prevalence of city and county authorities to urban projects. Apparently, a good number of these are being used on a level which is more adequate to project personnel in urban than rural areas. A corollary to this involves the fact that less law |