chabouk wrote:RPB wrote:Sheriff's Deputies, Constables,City Police Officer,Game Wardens, Rangers, and probationary Game Wardens are certified Peace officers. (. . .)
Their job is to write citations;
I thought the job of
Peace Officers was to maintain the peace. It's a shame so many agencies and officer now consider themselves primarily law
enforcement.
Yes, they are Texas Certified Peace Officrs, with full duties and powers to enforce the laws, they'll pull you over for running stop signs, red lights, driving too slowly on PUBLIC streets etc. They'll enforce BWI and DWI laws on public property.... and Game Wardens can enter private property "if we believe there is reason to" (sort of a broad "probable cause?"
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/S ... m/CR.2.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Art. 2.12. WHO ARE PEACE OFFICERS. (The one that gets me is the Dental Police)
Art. 2.13. DUTIES AND POWERS.
Art. 2.13. DUTIES AND POWERS.
(a) It is the duty of every peace officer to preserve the peace within the officer's jurisdiction.
To effect this purpose, the officer shall use all lawful means.
(b)
The officer shall:
(1)
in every case authorized by the provisions of this Code,
interfere without warrant to prevent or suppress crime;
(2) execute all lawful process issued to the officer by any magistrate or court;
(3) give notice to some magistrate of all offenses committed within the officer's jurisdiction, where the officer has good reason to believe there has been a violation of the penal law; and
(4) arrest offenders without warrant
in every case where the officer is authorized by law, in order that they may be taken before the proper magistrate or court and be tried.
(c) It is the duty of every officer to take possession of a child under Article 63.009(g).
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Additionally, a peace officer may ask for a citizen's aid ( I know one CHL near Houston who was asked to draw and hold his gun on a suspect while the officer chased the other )
Art. 2.14. MAY SUMMON AID. Whenever a peace officer meets with resistance in discharging any duty imposed upon him by law, he shall summon a sufficient number of citizens of his county to overcome the resistance; and
all persons summoned are bound to obey.
Art. 2.15. PERSON REFUSING TO AID. The peace officer who has summoned any person to assist him in performing any duty shall report such person, if he refuse to obey, to the proper district or county attorney, in order that he may be prosecuted for the offense.
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You would enjoy reading Texas Game Warden Field notes
Game Warden Field Notes
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/r ... /?req=gwfn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
or
"The Game Warden Blotter", some funny things reported there every month.
On Tuesday, Nov. 6 at approximately 12 a.m.
Game Warden Zach Benge
stopped a vehicle on FM 2022
on traffic violations and after conducting a probable cause search reportedly found approximately six ounces of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana. The Houston County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Division was called to the scene to conduct an investigation.
Game warden run over during traffic stop near Newton
http://www.kfdm.com/news/warden-29049-a ... ounty.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Gumshoe work leads to dumping charges: On Feb. 13, a Palo Pinto County game warden
discovered paint cans that had been illegally dumped. Using the paint codes on the cans, game warden visited the paint store and found the owner’s name and address. After visiting with the resident, the game warden filed on the two subjects the home owner had hired to paint his house. Cases pending.
Orange County game warden to
check a vehicle parked along an isolated county road in Vidor. Upon making contact with the driver, a crack pipe and hypodermic needle fell onto the roadway. A scuffle ensued, and the suspect jumped into a nearby swamp and fled into the woods after being pepper sprayed. Fortunately, the driver left his driver’s license and parole officer’s card in his vehicle. Two hours later the suspect returned to his residence where the game warden placed him under arrest for multiple violations, including tampering with physical evidence, resisting arrest, and evading arrest or detention
While patrolling Lake Newcastle, Young County Game Warden Brent Isom made contact with three people who were
drinking beer along the bank. During the contact, one person ran into the brush. Another person had warrants for his arrest. The man with warrants was secured while a perimeter was set up to begin the search for the person who fled. Once the perimeter was set, a search ensued into the thick brush along the lake. A sheriff’s deputy with a tracking dog was assisted by Throckmorton County Game Warden Shea Guinn and Albany County Game Warden Brian Huckabee. They picked up the trail of the individual and pushed him out of the brush where Isom and Chief Deputy Carl McGee were waiting to make the arrest. The suspect had a history of armed robbery and ran because he thought he had outstanding arrest warrants. To his dismay, no warrants existed.
On Nov. 16, while inspecting a deer camp on the Louisiana state line, Marion County game wardens checked a Louisiana resident who had been filed on the previous year. After a short interview, the hunter was found to have another Texas resident license even though he was still a Louisiana resident
(They'll compare hunting/Fishing Licenses with DRiver's Licenses to determine Residency)
On September 20th, two Travis County game wardens were patrolling Lady Bird Lake by kayak when they came across two subjects who were just breaking camp from a night’s stay on the shore. While approaching, the wardens noticed a stringer coming off of the end of the kayak beached on the shore. After a short discussion with the subjects, it was determined that neither had a current fishing license
nor any identification. After checking the subjects through dispatch, it was discovered that one subject was wanted for failure to report for probation on a theft charge from Hays County. A check of the contents of the kayak revealed a .22-caliber Sig Sauer Pistol, several illegal knives and drug paraphernalia. The subjects were asked to collect their belongings and escorted upstream to a local park where both where cited and one was turned over to Austin PD and charged with possession of prohibited weapons and the outstanding warrant.
The wardens went back to kayaking.
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My brother bought his house from a Game Warden and told me since a Game Warden can check your Ice chest, Live Well etc to see if you exceeded your daily limit on fish, or your freezer at your "final destination" (house) to see if you exceeded your possession limit, that other LE Agencies (who would need a search warrant) take a Game Warden along so they can get in your house to look in the freezer, while Sheriff/Police look around to see if anything else might be "in plain view" or smell funny and give them probable cause to obtain a search warrant. ( I don't believe that's true, but
how broad is "if we believe there is reason to" )
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One of the common
myths about a game warden is that they do not need warrants to make arrests or enter
private property.
Woolley said this is not
entirely true. (note by editor: "only PARTLY true")
“As a game warden, the main difference between us and other peace officers is that we have the right to enter private land only if we believe there is reason to” he said.
In addition, game wardens do not have to have probable cause to pull over boaters, whereas land officers have to have justification to pull someone over.
Woolley has the ability to issue written citations ranging from Class C misdemeanors all the way up to felonies. He
has full jurisdiction anywhere in the state and leans upon his fellow peace officers for assistance.
http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/cnhi/c ... 54452.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
A DPS Trooper or Game Warden, both Peace Officers with full Statewide jurisdiction, do not have to wait for an Independant School District Police Officer to show up in order to write tickets for speeding in school zones. (Nor should they have to when children's lives are endangered)
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My apologies to the OP for the unintentional redirection of this thread into Game Wardens and other LEO. Still glad it all worked out well for you. I may make a separate topic thread later, I have written responses from the Governor and some Governmental Agencies, just waiting until after some other Agencies I wrote to respond.
My point was intended to be, if a Game Warden ONLY asks to see your "license" can you be sure he is ONLY asking for a fishing license, if he says "Can I see your Fishing License" that's what I'd present, otherwise, if a Peace officer generically says "show me your license" if he is a Park Ranger or Game Warden, he might get 3 licenses (since TDL presentation necessitates CHL presentation) .... or, I guess one could ask "Which License?"
Again, sorry about that. Still glad it all worked out well for you. 
