I know that this is accurate but can you share a link anyway, please? When I searched on COs in Indiana I found some jurisdiction and county websites, aligning on the fact they are law enforcers and detectives, but the closest I found about criminal investigation work was how to report a poacher or hunting violation. And since they are under the DNR, I’m having trouble seeing them much more as park rangers than people who get involved in murders.One additional point. It’s not a tip is an official initial interview in double murder by a sworn law enforcement officer.
COs are full law enforcement officers, they go to he same ILEA academy with sheriff deputies and police officer, with extra detective training. They are not park rangers.
MOO this conservation officer and his or her supervisor had the duty to see their interview report through.
Now, as an aside, my husband and I were once at Whitewater State Park in southern Minnesota when everyone was evacuated down from the trails because a prison escapee was up in the bluffs (we had seen him up there but didn’t know he was a criminal yet!) As we came down, there were all kinds of responders herding people out, and if memory serves, they were mostly the park rangers. Of course, this is an irrelevant OT story I’m telling for the memory, but I’d think anywhere, whether park police are part of LE or DNR or both, they serve and protect in any situation they are called to do so.