Officers seeks help from community to enforce laws protecting our wildlife
Wildlife crimes involve persecution or deliberate cruelty but others are done for money or personal gain, or out of ignorance. In London the responsibility for enforcement of the laws protecting our wildlife rests with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
It is so easy to believe that wildlife crime is only to be found in the countryside but the London area is home to a wide range of wild species, including many which are protected in law; as a result each London police borough has a part time Wildlife Crime Officer, who fit in their wildlife crime investigations around their normal policing role.
Their main roles are to investigate wildlife crime, educate both their colleagues and public and be a point of contact for all wildlife partners.
The officers can be called to deal with various investigations, recently officers have been involved with investigations into the killing of wild birds, disturbance of Badger setts, disturbance to nesting birds and the illegal dumping of Japanese Knotweed which is a non indigenous species to Britain.
So what should the public do if they see wildlife crime?
Inform Police immediately and be sure to give precise details of what you have seen
• Do record as much information as possible about anyone involved: numbers, sex, height, clothing and descriptions
• Do record description and index number of any vehicles.
• Do not approach those involved
The Metropolitan Police Service is committed to enforcing the laws protecting wildlife.
If you know of anybody involved in crimes against wildlife, please call the Wildlife Crime Unit on 020 7230 8898. Or you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
October 19, 2010
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