Wildlife Preservation and Endangered Species: Decision, Discretion and Policy Implementation in the Island Special Constabulary Force, Jamaica

There is worldwide interest to preserve wild and endangered species. Several countries have become signatories to, or have acceded to international agreements, and have developed appropriate law enforcement institutions. Simultaneously, and within the context of Jamaica, law enforcement emphases have instead been occupied with ‘major crimes’. Jamaican police are expected to prioritize the solution of ‘serious crimes’ rather than enforcing the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) has been mandated to enforce the WPA and the ESA. The aim of this case study was to investigate how capacity impacts implementation of the WPA and the ESA; to assess the discretion across the different ISCF ranks impacts implementation of the WPA and the ESA; to conduct an investigation into how the level of import/seriousness placed on WPA and the ESA impacts implementation; and to evaluate how implementation of the WPA and the ESA stacked in relation to the enforcement of other offences. Enforcement was influenced by; 1) ignorance by ignorance of the complexities of the law; 2) lack of sufficient emphasis within the ISCF; 3) disconnect between ISCF strategic goals and operational realities; 4) implementation susceptible to excessive use of discretion and 5) a strong organizational culture that defined and placed emphasis on traditional notions of crime. The findings are far reaching and can be employed to provide action, direction and focus for policy makers, particularly in the ISCF.