LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Northern Michigan lawmakers are spearheading a plan that would update warrant requirements for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) since they say the agency “utilizes several outdated rules and policies.”
Search warrants and body cameras.
State Rep. Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River) testified before the House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee this week regarding the modernization plan for conservation officers (COs). The new plan, detailed in House Bills 4073 and 4074, would require COs to obtain a search warrant before entering private property and utilize body cameras.
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“The DNR still utilizes several outdated rules and policies, including the Open Fields Doctrine, that create dangerous situations for DNR officers and the public,” said Prestin. “Most people who have hunted on private land have a story about COs coming onto their land over minuscule issues, like not wearing enough orange or simply hearing a gunshot. Conservation officers shouldn’t be permitted to bypass locked gates by driving into fields or walk miles onto private property on nothing more than a hunch.”
Policies that protect officers and residents.
Prestin’s colleague and bill cosponsor Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock) said every other law enforcement agency in Michigan utilizes camera technology to protect officers and residents. “We are just asking the DNR to adopt to the same standards as all other law enforcement agencies in the state of Michigan,” Markkanen said.
Other law enforcement agencies typically can only enter private property with probable cause or a search warrant. Prestin emphasized that the bill is not designed to restrict the duties of COs. “We can and should balance the responsibilities of our COs with the privacy rights of our citizens to prevent abuses of power by bad actors,” Prestin said.
The DNR modernization plan remains in the House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee, awaiting a potential vote.
