Скачать или смотреть Assaults Up On Rangers

Visitors are assaulting and threatening rangers and other U.S. park employees more often.
The group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility or PEER says there were nearly 600 incidents reported nationwide last year, up a third from the previous year. PEER says it hasn't identified one single reason.
But employees have reported more motorcycle gangs, drug trafficking, and more off road vehicles going deeper into parks. The group says it has not seen an increase in gun related incidents even though loaded guns are now allowed in national parks.
Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, like Kimberly Moorman from California, say national parks should be safe. And we should respect the people who work to protect it. There s absolutely no reason to ruin it by being violent.
PEER says the increase in assaults may be a function of better reporting. But it hopes agencies pay attention to the numbers and devote more attention to preventing attacks on their own personnel.
By Rex Hodge
Follow Rex on Twitter @RexHodgeWLOS

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