Once the laws to protect wildlife are in place the next step is to enforce them. The initial investigative response rests with the police so just how effective are they?

In general a successful crime investigation needs resources, training and will. Suitable levels of finance are necessary to ensure that an investigator is available and has the time and back up that is needed for the case in question. The investigator needs to have been appropriately trained in both the law and the specialised techniques necessary to bring the investigation to a successful conclusion. Finally but crucially there needs to be a will on the part of both the individual investigator and their supervisor to bring the investigation to a successful conclusion.

Police Scotland has a team of Wildlife Crime officers but they are mostly part time and divisionally based uniformed staff. The promise of dedicated detective back up has never been realised. Wildlife crime is extremely difficult to investigate for a number of reasons. It can be highly resourced and organised and is endemic in certain areas in the same way that drug dealing is. This can create an environment in which there are high levels of acceptance of this particular criminality and contempt for the law. An individual failing to fall into line with these views can find themselves subject to serious pressure. A quick glance at social media will show the depths to which some individuals will routinely sink in their attacks on people or groups who seek to have the law enforced. A police constable thrown into this mix and faced with dealing with powerful and well connected individuals might well encounter problems.

Intelligence gathering is a subject that we do not intend to cover in detail but it is certainly seriously deficient and it is debatable if Divisionally based uniformed constables have the resources to utilise what data there is successfully.

Once again we seem to have a situation where the actions do not match the words. Much of Police Scotland’s efforts in wildlife crime amount to publicity campaigns advising people that activities such as badger baiting, hunting with dogs and raptor persecution are illegal. These practises have been banned for many years and education now needs to give way to enforcement. Policies and working groups and joint initiatives are fine but what is needed is a series of successful high profile investigations. There are some excellent officers keen to catch wildlife criminals but they need the support of management and the systems and structures to help them to do so. Where cases are successful it is often in spite of rather than because of the system.

Talk is not enough. We need results!