NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT
   
   
   To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
   
   From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
   
   Day/Date:   Friday, January 14, 2000
   
   ALMANAC
   
   On this day in 1946, Harry S Truman became the only incumbent president to 
   ascend the Washington Monument.
   
   INCIDENTS
   
   00-007 - Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - Demonstration
   
   On January 6th, the park issued a special use permit to Carpenter's Local 
   20 for First Amendment activity at Fort Wadsworth. At issue is a 
   construction contract with the Army Reserve, which owns property within 
   park boundaries. The permit went into effect on January 11th and is in 
   effect for one week. The demonstrators gathered peacefully in the 
   designated area on park property outside the back gate of the fort, 
   bringing with them an 18-foot inflatable rat. However, organizers soon 
   noticed some commercial vehicles entering the park through the front gate 
   (the only other entrance to the park), thus avoiding the demonstration 
   area. They asked the Park Police to force all commercial vehicles to enter 
   the back gate, but that was not feasible because there are no daytime 
   controls at either gate. Organizers are now considering applying to New 
   York City police for a permit to demonstrate outside the front gate on 
   city property. Park officials are concerned about access and egress, as 
   Fort Wadsworth houses emergency response units from both the Park Police 
   and the Coast Guard and upwards of 1,000 federal employees and 2,000 
   residents. Organizers have expressed their intention to create several 
   media opportunities and to reapply for permits at the back gate for up to 
   one year. [Marty O'Toole, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 1/13]
   
   CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
   
   No submissions.
   
   FIRE ACTIVITY
   
   Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - Fire danger remains high in the Texas panhandle 
   due to above normal temperatures and continued drought. Park staff 
   provided assistance on a 2,000-acre wildland grass fire near the park's 
   boundary on January 1st, responded to a structural fire within 200 yards 
   of the park's boundary and a wildland fire within 500 yards of the park's 
   boundary on January 4th, and suppressed a 10-acre wildland fire in the 
   park on January 5th.
   
   Yosemite NP (CA) - The park received some light rain on the 11th and was 
   planning to start burning the Studhorse #5 fire on Wednesday. 
   
   Big Cypress NP (FL) - Numerous prescribed fires are either planned or 
   underway. 
   
   Everglades NP (FL) - The park reports three wildland fire responses since 
   the start of the new year. Two were assists to the state, one was in the 
   park. It's been 25 to 32 days (depending on reporting station) since rain 
   fell on the park, and none is forecast through the coming weekend.
   
   Carlsbad Caverns NP (FL) - Fire danger is very high. Temperatures are in 
   the mid-80s, the relative humidity is in single digits, and significant 
   winds were reported at mid-week.
   
   [Mike Warren, NPS Fire Management Program Center, 1/13]
   
   OPERATIONAL NOTES
   
   No submissions.
   
   MEMORANDA
   
   "Comprehensive Study of National Park Service Law Enforcement Program," 
   signed yesterday by acting director Jackie Lowey and sent to all regional 
   directors. The full text follows:
   
   The National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Training Center at the 
   Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) was tasked with making 
   recommendations on how to proceed with a study on how the Law Enforcement 
   Program within the NPS is being managed.  The study will be comprehensive 
   and balanced.  The study will highlight positive aspects of NPS law 
   enforcement operations as well as deficiencies.  The study will outline 
   necessary and desirable improvements, identify what needs to be done to 
   support the field protection ranger, place special emphasis on actions to 
   ensure that the NPS is accountable to elected officials and the public, 
   that it is positioned to achieve objectives more effectively, maximize 
   productivity of current law enforcement operations, and meet future law 
   enforcement requirements in an orderly and informed manner.
   
   I am aware that there are other very important non-law enforcement aspects 
   of park ranger work.  Although they will not be the focus of this review 
   it is my intention to engage in serious discussion on these issues over 
   the next several months.
   
   After discussion on the focus of this review, the overwhelming advice and 
   counsel given me was that the International Association of Chiefs of 
   Police (IACP) would be the best choice to conduct the study.
   
   Why the IACP?
   
   The IACP is a non-profit corporation, chartered in the District of 
   Columbia (1943).  The IACP is the world 's leading association of law 
   enforcement executives with 17,000 members in 85 countries.  In addition 
   to Chiefs of Police and law enforcement personnel of other ranks, IACP 
   members include criminal justice researchers, university faculty, and 
   members of many other professions.  The IACP was founded in 1893 to 
   promote the highest standards of performance and conduct within the police 
   profession.
   
   The IACP provides law enforcement agencies with the most extensive range 
   of police services available.  In addition to management services, the 
   IACP offers training courses and professional development seminars, 
   promotional testing, assessment centers, executive search and placement, 
   research and development, publications, information networking, and 
   conferences.
   
   IACP conducts comprehensive studies of the management, organization, 
   staffing, and operations of police departments.  Goals of their studies 
   are to determine the degree to which a department is properly accountable, 
   is operating cost effectively, is in compliance with professional police 
   standards, and is satisfying the crime control and service requirements of 
   the citizens it serves.
   
   Since the IACP began its program of field consulting in 1935, it has 
   conducted hundreds of management surveys, technical assistance projects, 
   staff studies, planning projects, and has provided contract training and 
   testing services for police agencies and their parent governments 
   throughout the United States and many other nations.
   
   Study Objectives
   
   o     Evaluate the degree to which NPS law enforcement goals, objectives, 
         and operations conform to the statutory requirements of the NPS and 
         Department of the Interior and the expectations of park visitors and 
         users.
   o     Evaluate how well the NPS is organized to conduct operations
   o     Project future NPS law enforcement workload and demands
   
   Components of Study Team Review
   
   o     Staffing Levels
   o     Communications Systems/Equipment/Procedures
   o     Policy (NPS-9/DO#9/RM 9, DM 446)
   o     Accountability/Management of Law Enforcement Program
   o     Professional Development of Law Enforcement Managers
   o     Training including advanced training and a Servicewide Field 
         Training and Evaluation Program
   o     Internal Investigations
   o     Recruitment/Screening
   o     Disciplinary Process
   o     Fiscal Evaluation of Servicewide/Regional/Park Programs
   o     Causes of the Deaths of Rangers Performing Law Enforcement Duties
   o     Causes of Assaults of Rangers Performing Law Enforcement Duties
   
   Study Team Composition
   
   The IACP Program and Research Group Study Team along with two Supervisory 
   Special Agents from Land Management Agencies would make up the study team. 
   The Study Team would be under the direction of an NPS Study Team Leader.  
   The Superintendent, NPS Law Enforcement Training Center, would function as 
   the advisor and liaison between the NPS Study Team Leader and the IACP.
   
   NPS Study Team Leader
   
   The Study Team Leader will be a Mike Finley, Superintendent, Yellowstone 
   National Park.  Mike has a solid protection background as well as 
   extensive park and central office experience.
   
   Funding Recommendations
   
   The estimated $100,000 review will be paid for by utilizing $25,000 from 
   fiscal year 2000 training funds currently allocated to FLETC and $75,000 
   from the Regions. I am asking the Regional Directors to immediately come 
   up with a formula to decide the amount to be contributed by each region.  
   Work on this study will begin immediately.
   
   Cost of Study
   
   Approximately $90,000 to $100,000 is required to complete the study.
   
   Target Date of Completion
   
   Within 120 days of approval of project.
   
   United States Park Police Study
   
   We are considering a parallel study to be conducted for the United States 
   Park Police.  This parallel study would be organized in much the same 
   fashion as was used for developing the response to evaluate the needs of 
   law enforcement programs as mandated by Public Law 105-391.  Currently 
   there is no funding available so the NPS study will proceed.
   
   INTERCHANGE
   
   No submissions.
   
   PARKS AND PEOPLE
   
   No submissions.
   
                                 *  *  *  *  *
   
   Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by 
   park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address 
   requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub 
   coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on the web at 
   http://www.nps.gov/morningreport
   
   Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation 
   and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
   
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