Coupling law enforcement and community-based regulations in support of compliance with biodiversity conservation regulations

SummaryThe scope and scale of wildlife crimes around the world have risen in intensity and complexity, yet current enforcement strategies have often not delivered desired effects on illegal activities, even within protected areas. Tackling the array of illegal activities by emphasizing law enforcement above other options is challenging and potentially unsustainable. We explored the potential for social norms, community regulations and socioeconomic factors to promote compliance with wildlife laws by interviewing 334 respondents in 28 villages that share boundaries with protected areas in Nigeria. Using an anonymous direct questioning approach, we recorded a high prevalence of non-compliance behaviours in all studied communities. Injunctive norms (i.e., perceptions of acceptable behaviour within a social group) significantly predicted compliance, as respondents with no complicit friends or family members were more likely to comply with wildlife regulations. Perceived likelihood of community-level sanctions played a more salient role than the fear of arrest by rangers in influencing compliance. In addition, non-compliance increased with number of dependents, but reduced with average monthly household income. Our study demonstrates that clear knowledge of the social norms that drive local behaviour as well as the authorities that enforce them is integral to understanding the forces that drive community involvement and participation in conservation. Incorporating local communities in planning enforcement interventions may help protect threatened species and landscapes.

Download Full-text

Rangers can't be with every elephant: assessing rangers' perceptions of a community, problem-solving policing model for protected areas

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605318001461 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

William D. Moreto ◽

Richard Charlton

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Science Research ◽

Conservation Policy ◽

Front Line ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Wildlife Crime ◽

Illegal Activities ◽

Study Participants

AbstractRecent studies have highlighted that illegal activities occurring within protected areas, including the poaching of fauna and flora, cannot be addressed with increased law enforcement alone. Moreover, research on the increasingly militarized nature of front-line conservation efforts has pointed to potentially detrimental aspects of such approaches. This has led to a shift in focus to identifying ways to further engage local communities in the prevention and reduction of wildlife crimes. However, few studies have examined the potential for changing the responsibilities of front-line conservation personnel or their views on such changes. Such insight is vital in forecasting the successful adoption of, or possible resistance towards, a more community-oriented policy. We examined rangers’ perceptions in Uganda to assess their attitudes towards traditional enforcement strategies and alternative, non-enforcement approaches for reducing illegal activities in protected areas. Our findings suggest that although respondents believed that traditional enforcement strategies (e.g. foot patrols) are important and effective in reducing wildlife crime, these strategies on their own were insufficient to address illegal activities. Study participants emphasized the importance of expanding the role of front-line rangers, in line with approaches suggested in the policing literature. We discuss the implications of our findings for transdisciplinary conservation science research and front-line conservation policy and practice.

Download Full-text

Social Capital in Community-Based Waste Bank Management

JURNAL ILMU SOSIAL ◽

10.14710/jis.18.2.2019.93-108 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 93-108

Author(s):

Shafiera Amalia

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Social Norms ◽

Vital Role ◽

Household Waste ◽

Community Based ◽

Trust Network ◽

Bank Management ◽

The Social ◽

Waste Bank ◽

Shared Commitment

The waste bank is an innovative method to increase knowledge and behaviour to manage household waste. As a collective action at the community level, social capital has a vital role in the management of the waste bank. This study aims to identify and analyse how the level of trust, network, and social norms play a role in creating a sustainable, community-based waste bank management. This research used the qualitative approach and descriptive method. The data collection techniques were carried out using observations, literature studies, and in-depth interviews. The data were analysed using a qualitative-descriptive technique. The study shows that The Lintas Winongo Waste Bank is a community-based waste bank because it was established and managed by community members in RW 11, Bumijo Urban Village, Yogyakarta City. The manager of Lintas Winongo Waste Bank collaborates with several actors to support the management of the waste bank. The Lintas Winongo Waste bank management requires trust between the actors because it is related to the flow of money. The trust between the actors is built through the transparency of the waste bank management process. The network has a role in exchanging information and providing access to various resources required. The strategies to build networking with the actors are communication, shared understanding regarding the purpose of the waste bank, and a shared commitment to support the waste bank management. The social norms are required to maintain the transparency process and trust between the actors. Moreover, the social norm can build awareness of the citizens to manage domestic waste.

Download Full-text

Four Lessons Learned From School Nurses in New Jersey About Building a Culture of Health

NASN School Nurse ◽

10.1177/1942602x17737797 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 106-108

Author(s):

Robert Atkins

Keyword(s):

New Jersey ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Social Determinants Of Health ◽

Social Determinants ◽

School Nurses ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Stakeholders ◽

The Social ◽

Community Residents

Building a Culture of Health will give all members of our society the opportunity to lead healthier lives. To achieve this aim, more stakeholders in the community—residents, elected officials, community-based nonprofits, law enforcement, and schools—need to be engaged in addressing the health challenges in our communities. Moreover, all community stakeholders have to think and act “upstream” by addressing the social determinants of health in their communities. Discussed in this article are some of the lessons that are being learned from the “upstream” actions of school nurses in New Jersey about building a Culture of Health.

Download Full-text

Social Reactions and Women’s Decisions to Report Sexual Assault to Law Enforcement

Violence Against Women ◽

10.1177/1077801219838345 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 399-416

Author(s):

Anne P. DePrince ◽

Naomi Wright ◽

Kerry L. Gagnon ◽

Tejaswinhi Srinivas ◽

Jennifer Labus

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Sexual Assault ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Community Based ◽

Social Reactions ◽

The Social ◽

Informal Supports

Following sexual assault, little is known about how the social reactions women receive from informal supports and community-based providers relate to decisions to report to law enforcement. Among 213 diverse women who had disclosed a recent sexual assault to a community-based provider, 56% reported to law enforcement. Law enforcement reporting was associated with more positive (tangible aid) and less negative (distraction, being treated differently) reactions from informal supports and more tangible aid and less emotional support from community-based providers. Tangible aid from community-based providers predicted law enforcement reporting over the subsequent 9 months among women who had not initially reported.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of long-term law enforcement monitoring in a West African protected area

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605320000228 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Jerry Owusu Afriyie ◽

Michael O. Asare ◽

Jones Osei-Mensah ◽

Pavla Hejcmanová

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Protected Areas ◽

West African ◽

External Support ◽

Monitoring Data ◽

Patrol Officers ◽

Staff Performance ◽

Long Term Trends ◽

Illegal Activities

Abstract Law enforcement in protected areas is critical for ensuring long-term conservation and achieving conservation objectives. In 2004, patrol-based monitoring of law enforcement was implemented in protected areas in Ghana. Here, we evaluate long-term trends and changes in patrol staff performance, and illegal activities, in the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve. The assessment was based on ranger patrol-based monitoring data collected during January 2006–August 2017. Along the patrol routes, patrol officers recorded all encounters with illegal activities associated with hunting and capturing or harming of animals. Across all years, staff performance was lowest in 2006 as staff learned the system but increased in 2007 and peaked in 2010, the latter as a result of motivation of the patrol staff. After 2011, staff performance decreased, mainly because of the retirement of some patrol staff and insufficient logistical support for successful patrolling. Snares were the most commonly recorded indicators of illegal activity. Because their use is silent, poachers using snares are less likely to be detected than poachers using other forms of hunting. Long-term assessment of patrol-based monitoring data provides reliable information on illegal activities related to wildlife, to enable stakeholders to design effective measures for biodiversity conservation. Our assessment indicates that patrol staff performance in Kogyae is, at least partly, dependent on governmental or external support and incentives, in particular the provision of equipment and transport facilities.

Download Full-text

Community Dimensions of Smuggling: The Case of Afghanistan and Somalia

The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science ◽

10.1177/0002716217751895 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 676 (1) ◽

pp. 97-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Nassim Majidi

Keyword(s):

Community Involvement ◽

Systems Approach ◽

Local Communities ◽

Ecological Systems ◽

The West ◽

Community Based ◽

Family Ties ◽

Key Points ◽

The Social ◽

Strength Of Ties

This article uses an ecological systems approach to detail community involvement in smuggling in Afghanistan and Somalia—two countries that have similar patterns of irregular outmigration to the West and geopolitical and human security dynamics. I emphasize community connections and family ties as the key points around which irregular migration takes place and smuggling persists. In both of these countries, smugglers are members of local communities. The social organization of smuggling is strongest at community-based points of origin, then weakens as migrants and smugglers get farther from their homes, owing to a growing diversity of actors, cultures, and languages. By analyzing the strength of ties in communities involved in smuggling, the dynamics of referrals and guarantees, and interactions across various distances, this analysis takes the focus away from the causal and economic logic of smuggling to delve instead into its relational dimensions.

Download Full-text

LAW ENFORCEMENT MODEL IN COMMUNITY-BASED WASTE MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT AS A REALIZATION OF GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES IN WEST SUMATERA, INDONESIA

UNIFIKASI Jurnal Ilmu Hukum ◽

10.25134/unifikasi.v6i1.1629 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Lona Puspita

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Community Involvement ◽

Research Method ◽

Environmental Governance ◽

Community Members ◽

Community Based ◽

Social Sanctions ◽

Toxic Materials ◽

West Sumatra ◽

The Law

The increasing number of population and industry will have an impact on the number of waste produced, such as plastic waste, paper waste, and packaging products containing toxic materials. This research aims to create a law enforcement model in community-based waste monitoring and management as a realization of the principles of Good Environmental Governance. The research method used was empirical juridical. The results showed that the law enforcement model adapted in community-based waste monitoring and management to realize good environmental governance in West Sumatra Province is started from the monitoring carried out by the community towards the community members littering or do not do waste sorting in which its results will be reported to the Department of Environment. In addition to being based on regional regulations, the law enforcement model is also carried out in the form of social sanctions in which the persons will be being announced on social media for 30 days or participating in various programs conducted by the Department of Environment for 30 days. Hence, community involvement must start from the management, processing, monitoring, and law enforcement.�Peningkatan jumlah penduduk dan usaha industri akan memberikan pengaruh terhadap sampah yang akan dihasilkan seperti sampah plastik, kertas, produk kemasan yang mengandung Bahan Beracun Berbahaya. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah bagimana membuat model penegakan hukum dalam pengawasan dan berbasis masyarakat sebagai perwujudan prinsip Good Environmental Governance. Metode penelitian ini bersifat yuridis empiris.� Hasil penelitian ini model penegakan hukum dalam pengawasan dan pengelolaan sampah berbasis masyarakat demi terwujudnya good environmental governance di Provinsi Sumatera Barat dimulai dari pengawasan yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat terhadap warga yang membuang sampah sembarangan atau yang tidak melakukan pilah sampah, yang hasilnya nanti dilaporkan ke Dinas Lingkungan Hidup kota setempat. Model penegakan hukum yang dilakukan selain berdasarkan Peraturan Daerah setempat juga penegakan hukum dalam bentuk sanksi sosial berupa di umumkan dalam media sosial selama 30 hari atau ikut serta dalam program Dinas Lingkungan Hidup setempat selama 30 hari. Keterlibatan masyarakat harus dimulai dari pengelolaan, pengolahan, pengawasan dan penegakan hukumnya

Download Full-text

Documenting State Violence: (Symbolic) Annihilation & Archives of Survival

KULA knowledge creation dissemination and preservation studies ◽

10.5334/kula.28 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 7

Author(s):

Gabriel Daniel Solis

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

State Violence ◽

Community Based ◽

Transformative Justice ◽

Symbolic Annihilation ◽

Memory Work ◽

Counter Narratives ◽

The Social ◽

The Us ◽

Auto Ethnography

This essay explores symbolic annihilation in the context of state violence, including policing, incarceration, and the death penalty in the US. Using auto-ethnography to reflect on the work of the Texas After Violence Project (TAVP) and other community-based documentation and archival projects, I argue that the personal stories and experiences of victims and survivors of state violence are critical counter-narratives to dominant discourses on violence, criminality, and the purported efficacy of retributive law enforcement and criminal justice policies and practices. They also compel us to engage with complex questions about victimhood, disposability, and accountability. Building on the work of activists and archivists engaged in liberatory memory work, I also argue that counter-narratives of state violence confront and challenge the social, cultural, and ideological power of symbolic annihilation. Because these counter-narratives are under constant threat of being suppressed, co-opted, or silenced, they are forms of endangered knowledge that must be protected and preserved. Finally, I reflect on ‘archives of survival,’ repositories of stories and other ephemera of tragedy that contribute to envisioning and achieving transformative justice.

Download Full-text

Community involvement works where enforcement fails: conservation success through community-based management of Amazon river turtle nests

10.7287/peerj.preprints.26843 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Darren Norris ◽

Fernanda Michalski ◽

James P Gibbs

Keyword(s):

Resource Management ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Natural Resource Management ◽

Natural Resource ◽

Community Involvement ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Community Based ◽

Practical Guidelines ◽

Management Approaches ◽

One Year

Law enforcement is widely regarded as a cornerstone to effective natural resource management. Practical guidelines for the optimal use of enforcement measures are lacking particularly in areas protected under sustainable and/or mixed use management regimes and where legal institution are weak. Focusing on the yellow-spotted river turtles (Podocnemis unifilis) along 33 km of river that runs between two sustainable–use reserves in the Brazilian Amazon as an illustrative example, we show that two years of patrols to enforce lawful protection regulations had no effect on nest harvesting. In contrast, during one year when community-based management approaches were enacted harvest levels dropped nearly threefold to a rate (26%) that is likely sufficient for river turtle population recovery. Our findings support previous studies that show how community participation, if appropriately implemented, can facilitate effective natural resource management where law enforcement is limited or ineffective.

Download Full-text