U.S. Rangers: The Law of the Land

In U.S. Rangers – The Law of the Land retired Special Agent Paul Berkowitz presents the findings of his ground-breaking research into the history of law enforcement in the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the other federal land management law enforcement organizations.

Conducting hundreds of interviews with “old timers” and digging through old agency files, photographs, court records, and long-forgotten newspaper accounts, Berkowitz has uncovered a fascinating history of crime and crime fighting in our national parks and forests and other public lands that goes back over a century. His research and writing have served to debunk many of the popular myths about the “ranger image,” shedding light on the critical law enforcement role that U.S. Rangers have long played in our national parks and other public lands.

Updated and expanded for 2022/2023, this new edition now contains detailed accounts of 700 “violent encounters and deadly threats” experienced by U.S. Rangers over the past 120 years, including officer involved shootings, aggravated assaults and murders. Also included are chapters describing the administrative history and evolution of the various federal land management agencies and their law enforcement components.