More Fun at MONO

My time with the Law Enforcement division has finally come. The time I spent with the other divisions has been rewarding and enjoyable, while they each offered their own experiences and challenges. Getting a glimpse at how everyone works together to effectively run a park will certainly help me as I continue in my career. However, I was extremely excited to spend time with the division that I am focused on becoming a part of one day. This past week has only furthered my passion for becoming a Law Enforcement Officer for the National Park Service.

I had the privilege of going along with Officers Travis Baker and Jim Hans as they gave me a good look into how the Law Enforcement Division operates at Monocacy National Battlefield. The pictures above are from when I was on duty with Travis. On the left, he was using binoculars to see past the tree line. On the right, Travis was communicating with the dispatch center to check on an individual's fishing license status. It just so happened that this lead to an arrest. 

I got to take a trip to the Washington County State Police Barracks.
We reported to the Forensic Sciences Division to test confiscated substances
that seemed to be marijuana and cocaine. Both tests came back positive. 

Another duty of Law Enforcement Officers is to check the trails.
Visitor safety is the focus while determining when to open
or close a trail after storms, so clearly something had
to be done with this fallen tree.

My time with LE has shown me that these rangers have a lot of responsibilities. Driving around and patrolling while being a friendly face for visitors to see and answer questions is important, yet there is so much more that goes into being a successful Law Enforcement Officer that the public does not see.