Operation Game Thief Adds Technology to the Battle Against Wildlife
Crime
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June 5, 2006
Austin, Texas — Typical Crimestoppers programs assist law
enforcement officers only by offering rewards to the public for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of targeted law
breakers. But with broadened authority from the Texas Legislature
last year, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s privately
funded Operation Game Thief (OGT) program is now going a step
further.
OGT, Texas’ Wildlife Crimestoppers program, is now working to
provide game wardens with the latest in technologically advanced
tools to assist in both the curtailment and prosecution of wildlife
resource crimes.
The recently concluded Operation Pescador, targeting illegal
commercial fishing on Falcon Reservoir and the Rio Grande River, is
a good example of the immediate benefit of the implementation of
this technology: 28 individuals were arrested, and 20 boats and
motors and more than 18 miles of gill net and were confiscated.
The tremendous success of this operation relied, in great part, on
the ability of game wardens, coming from around the state, to
effectively navigate in unfamiliar territory and especially on
unknown, international boundary waters.
This navigation was possible through utilization of Global
Positioning referenced maps, printed on-site with sophisticated
equipment provided through a grant from OGT.
In other parts of the state, cases that previously would have been
rejected by prosecutors because of unclear county boundaries are now
being accepted, and successfully prosecuted, because of utilization
of this same technology.
In light of recent legislation requiring accreditation of any lab
submitting DNA evidentiary analysis for court proceedings, OGT has
provided a partial-funding grant for specialized equipment necessary
to achieve accreditation for TPWD’s forensics lab. When that
accreditation is achieved, the lab will be the only accredited state
wildlife forensics lab in the U.S., a major achievement.
Other OGT grant-provided technological inroads for game wardens
include the use of side-scan sonar devices to locate and recover
drowning victims, lost or abandoned equipment, and even crucial
evidence hidden beneath the water’s surface.
“Drownings are tragic, and sometimes days, or even weeks of
searching are required before the lost loved one can be returned to
the family,” said Col. Pete Flores, director of law enforcement for
TPWD. “This technology has the potential of helping our officers
recover the victim much sooner, easing the family’s burden, as well
as freeing the officers to handle other duties.”
Thermal imagery is the next tool coming to the warden’s arsenal in
the battle against violations such as night hunting, the use of
illegal nets and traps in public waters and the over-harvest of
aquatic resources for commercial purposes, especially in Texas
coastal waters.
“In other arenas, this ‘see in the dark’ technology has proven
invaluable both in aiding apprehensions and as an evidentiary record
in court proceedings,” said Flores. “It also provides the added
dimension of enhanced officer safety. It is the modern-day
technology necessary to keep up with the bad guys, and we’re glad to
have it.”
The 11-member Operation Game Thief committee, which administers the
OGT Fund, has authorized rewards of more than $200,000 for
information about game and fish law violations since its inception
in 1981.
“Clearly the public has been proven to be the vital link in the
on-going battle against the exploitation of our wildlife resources,”
said Buddy Turner, assistant chief of wildlife enforcement for TPWD.
“This is evidenced by the thousands of calls to the 800 792-GAME
Reward Hotline, and the private contributions that make it possible
to finally put this technology in the hands of the wardens, albeit
on a limited scale.”
The application of proven advanced technology to help combat the
poaching problem is only a matter of money, Turner said, and the
non-profit OGT continues to seek those dollars through both
individual and corporate commitments.
“The Committee is pleased to be an integral part of the effort to
field new technology,” said OGT Committee Chairman Ray Bailey, a
Houston businessman. “Our hope is that the corporate sector will
become more involved with us, either through direct donation or
through participation in our fundraisers like the Bandana Ball at
the Hilton Post Oak Hotel on June 10, or the Claystoppers Sporting
Clays event next April in Austin.
Information on both events is available by calling April Mendez,
(512) 389-4381
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