Ranger Danger: Exploring Perceptions of Crime in America's National Park System

• In Event: Examining the Fear and Perception of Crime in a Variety of Contexts

Abstract

Police officers’ perceptions of crime and safety is a well studied area in criminology. However, scant research has been conducted with park rangers and little is known about crime and safety in so-called “protected spaces.” This study seeks to fill that void by exploring ranger perceptions of the unique crime and safety issues facing America’s sixty-one National Parks. Preliminary results from a survey administered to rangers working within the U.S. National Park Service will be presented, revealing their perceptions related to crime, safety, law enforcement. Implications of findings will be discussed in the context of park preparedness for crime and future crime prevention strategies, given the growing popularity of U.S. National Parks.

Authors

• Will Stadler, Saint Martin's University

• Brooke Miller Gialopsos, Seattle University

• Cheryl Lero Jonson, Xavier University