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Updated December 28, 2022
Department of the Interior (DOI) Law Enforcement Programs
Overview
DOI defines law enforcement officer as a “person who has
The Department of the Interior (DOI) employs law
entered the Federal service through established selection
enforcement officers (LEOs) for a variety of purposes, and
criteria, has received professional training according to
law enforcement on lands administered by DOI and its
published standards and has been commissioned or sworn
bureaus is of perennial interest to Congress. This has
to perform law enforcement duties” (DOI Departmental
generally included issues related to funding, jurisdictional
Manual Part 446 Ch. 1). Generally, LEOs include
disputes between federal and nonfederal law enforcement
employees who are authorized to carry firearms, execute
agencies, use of body cameras, and more recent concerns
and serve warrants, search for and seize evidence, make
around excessive force and police-community relations.
arrests, and perform such duties as authorized by law. The
category broadly includes uniformed police officers,
As of December 2022, DOI employed nearly 3,400 LEOs.
investigative agents, correctional officers, and various other
DOI’s law enforcement contingent is the fourth largest
positions within DOI. Since 2001, DOI’s Office of Law
among executive branch departments, after the Departments
Enforcement and Security (OLES) has provided direction,
of Homeland Security, Justice, and Veterans Affairs. The
oversight, and coordination across DOI’s various law
majority of these LEOs are assigned to six organizational
enforcement units (Secretarial Order No. 3234, Enhanced
units within four DOI bureaus (see Figure 1). These units
Coordination of Department of the Interior Law
are the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); Bureau of
Enforcement and Security).
Indian Affairs (BIA); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
(FWS’s) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) and Division of
The specific duties of DOI LEOs can vary considerably
Refuge Law Enforcement (REF); National Park Service
based on the type (e.g., investigative agent vs. correctional
(NPS); and U.S. Park Police (USPP) within NPS. A seventh
officer), seniority (supervisory vs. nonsupervisory), and
unit in the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) was dissolved in
geographic location of the position. For example, in the
2017. In addition, several DOI offices and programs
American Southwest, officers may spend considerable time
employ LEOs for a variety of duties.
dealing with unauthorized recreational off-highway vehicle
users and archaeological resource crimes, whereas LEOs
Figure 1. Total DOI Law Enforcement Figures
working in urbanized areas may be responsible for
(as of December 2022)
managing special events and political demonstrations, as
well as performing more general law enforcement duties.
The following sections provide a brief overview of DOI law
enforcement units, their enforcement activities, and the
authority under which they operate. The sections also
briefly discuss additional law enforcement support for DOI
and its bureaus.
Bureau of Land Management
Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (43 U.S.C. §§1701 et seq.), the Secretary of the
Interior is authorized to stand up a law enforcement body to
Source: Totals provided to CRS on December 2022, by DOI.
enforce federal laws and regulations with respect to lands
Notes: BLM = Bureau of Land Management; BIA = Bureau of Indian
and resources under BLM’s jurisdiction. As of December
Affairs; BOR = Bureau of Reclamation; OLE = U.S. Fish and Wildlife
2022, BLM employed 229 law enforcement rangers and 78
Service – Office of Law Enforcement; REF = U.S. Fish and Wildlife
special agents for a total of 307 LEOs. BLM rangers
Service – Division of Refuge Law Enforcement; NPS = National Park
typically are responsible for the enforcement of laws and
Service; USPP = U.S. Park Police. “Other” reflects law enforcement
regulations governing BLM lands and resources. Special
officer employment figures for the Office of the Secretary, the Office
agents typically are plainclothes criminal investigators who
of Law Enforcement and Security, the Assistant Secretary for Indian
plan and conduct investigations concerning possible
Affairs, and the Office of Aviation Services. Al totals reflect “on-
violations on BLM lands.
board employment” figures, which calculate the number of employees
in pay status at the end of the quarter. Data for on-board
Bureau of Indian Affairs
employment provide employee “head count” in most departments
Jurisdiction over offenses or crimes committed on tribal
and agencies as of a particular date, including ful -time, part-time, and
lands may lie with federal, state, or tribal agencies,
seasonal employees.
depending on the offense, the location of the offense, and
whether the offender or victim is an enrolled member of a
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federally recognized tribe. Although most police
364) and transferred the USPP to NPS administration in
departments and detention centers on tribal lands are
1924 (43 Stat. 175). The USPP primarily oversees law
administered by tribes under their sovereign authorities,
enforcement on national parklands in Washington, DC;
some are operated and administered by the BIA, largely
New York City; and San Francisco. However, USPP
under the authority of the Indian Law Enforcement Reform
jurisdiction generally extends to all NPS parklands
Act (25 U.S.C. §§2801-2809). As of 2019 (the last year for
nationwide. As of December 2022, USPP employed 520
which data are available), roughly 9% of all police
uniformed officers.
departments and 25% of detention centers on tribal lands
were administered by the BIA (Bureau of Justice Statistics,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Census of Tribal Law Enforcement, 2019). Staff in BIA-
FWS’s law enforcement authority derives from numerous
administered police departments and jails are considered
federal wildlife statutes and laws that implement certain
federal employees rather than tribal employees. As of
international treaties. Two distinct law enforcement units
December 2022, BIA employed 177 uniformed police
are responsible for enforcing such federal wildlife laws: the
officers, 186 special agents, and 161 correctional officers,
Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) and the Division of
for 524 total LEOs.
Refuge Law Enforcement (REF).
Bureau of Reclamation
Office of Law Enforcement
In 2001, Congress provided the Secretary of the Interior
The OLE is responsible for investigations and wildlife
with the authority to use law enforcement personnel to
inspection across the country. Federal law enforcement of
provide for the security of dams, facilities, and resources
wildlife crime originated with the Lacey Act of 1900 (16
under BOR’s jurisdiction (43 U.S.C. §373b). Under this
U.S.C. §§3371-3378 and 18 U.S.C. §§42-43) but has since
authority, BOR uses other federal, state, or local LEOs via
expanded to include various laws and treaties. As of
contract or cooperative agreement to oversee and conduct
December 2022, OLE employed 218 special agents and
law enforcement activities. The only site that employed a
143 inspectors, for a total of 361 LEOs. Generally, special
full-time law enforcement unit administered directly by
agents are investigators who aim to solve wildlife crimes,
BOR was the Hoover Dam office; known as the Hoover
such as illegal wildlife trafficking. Wildlife inspectors
Dam Police Department, the unit was established in the
oversee wildlife transiting through U.S. ports and identify
early 1930s and dissolved in 2017. Subsequently, law
and intercept illegally imported or exported wildlife.
enforcement duties for the Hoover Dam were transferred to
Division of Refuge Law Enforcement
NPS. As of December 2022, BOR no longer operates a law
The REF is responsible for enforcing laws on National
enforcement unit. The agency reported employing 73
Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) lands. This authority is
security guard staff, but DOI does not categorize this job
primarily derived from the National Wildlife Refuge
series as law enforcement.
System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. §668dd(g)).
National Park Service
As of December 2022, FWS employed 224 uniformed
officers, generally referred to as federal wildlife officers, on
NPS employees have long had a role in protecting national
NWRS lands.
parklands and enforcing agency regulations, but they did
not have express permission to “maintain law and order and
Additional DOI Law Enforcement
to protect individuals and property within [National Park]
In addition to these law enforcement units, DOI reported 83
System units” until 1976, when Congress passed the
employees in various law enforcement positions across
General Authorities Act (54 U.S.C. §102701). As of
several offices and programs (see Figure 1 note). DOI’s
December 2022, NPS employed 34 special agents, who
Office of the Inspector General (OIG) employed the
oversee criminal investigations as part of the agency’s
majority of these LEOs. The OIG is vested with law
Investigative Services Branch, and 1,269 park rangers, who
enforcement authority pursuant to the Inspector General
are responsible for everyday law enforcement on NPS
Act of 1978, as amended (5 U.S.C. §6(e)(3)). According to
lands. Although the title park ranger generally refers to a
DOI, as of December 2022, the OIG employed 69 agents
broad range of employee positions within NPS, the ranger
responsible for investigating DOI programs and operations.
figures here reflect only those employees specifically
LEOs employed by DOI’s OIG and other departmental
authorized to carry out law enforcement duties. NPS also
offices generally are not considered a separate LEO unit
uses seasonal rangers who conduct similar duties as
within DOI.
permanent rangers, usually for a period of several months.
As of December 2022, NPS employed 69 seasonal LEOs,
Generally, DOI agencies can designate federal law
for a total of 1,372 LEOs; however, this number may be
enforcement personnel to act in areas within their
higher during the summer months, when seasonal LEO
jurisdiction. This includes shared or supplemental LEO
employment is at its peak. For example, in July 2022, NPS
support between DOI agencies, as well as with other federal
reported having 214 seasonal LEOs on staff.
agencies with appropriate authority. Agencies also regularly
cooperate and contract with local sheriff’s offices, as well
U.S. Park Police
as state and tribal authorities, to provide law enforcement
The USPP is one of the oldest uniformed federal law
on federal lands and areas within their responsibility or
enforcement units; its origins date to the late 1700s, when
control. Such agreements may allow certain officers to be
its LEOs were referred to as watchmen and charged with
cross-deputized to expand jurisdiction and capacity for
safeguarding public buildings in the nation’s capital.
federal and nonfederal authorities.
Congress formally established the USPP in 1919 (41 Stat.
Mark K. DeSantis, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
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Department of the Interior (DOI) Law Enforcement Programs
IF11709
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