26 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



DEPARTMENTAL 



AND 



BUREAU REPORTS 



REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PATROL. 



By J. S. Hunter, Chief of Patrol. 



With the reorganizatiou of the Commission at the beginning- of the 

 year 1926, a Department of Patrol was created. The entire patrol 

 force with the exception of the salt water patrol, in southern Cali- 

 fornia, was placed under one head, the chief of patrol. Previous to 

 this, the state had been divided into three districts — San Francisco, 

 Los Angeles and Sacramento. The deputies in these districts were 

 responsible to their superiors in the respective offices. In many 

 instances it was found that the best results could not be secured 

 through this system. There was a lack of cooperation between the 

 districts and lack of uniformity in the enforcement of many laws. 

 The change Avas made in order tliat better and closer cooperation might 

 be obtained and the laws enforced uniformly throughout the entire 

 state. Under the old sj^stem it was impossible to keep close track of 

 the work of the individual deputies. In order that every man might 

 be under closer supervision, the state has been divided into patrol 

 districts, Avith a captain of patrol in charge of the men in his district. 

 The captains have been selected with great care and only men with 

 years of experience and excellent judgment have been appointed. 

 These captains work under tlie direction of the chief of patrol and in 

 every way are held responsible for conditions in their district. It has 

 ])een found that the men appointed captains are perfectly willing to 

 assume the added responsibility and there is a greater incentive for 

 the patrol deputies to do their work effectively for they realize that 

 in time they may be promoted. 



The boundaries of tlie patrol districts are at present more or less 

 arbitrary and will be changed as experience shows necessary. In 

 order to distinguish the patrol districts from the numbered fish and 

 game districts, the former have been designated : northern California, 

 Lassen, Sacramento Valley, Sacramento, San Francisco, northern San 

 Joaquin, southern San Joaquin, southern California, Monterey, Sonoma 

 and Humboldt. The very important district of San Francisco includes 

 the bay and river patrol that was formerly carried on under the 

 direction of the Department of Commercial Fisheries. It is believed 

 that better enforcement of the laws will be had through the cooperation 

 of the land and water patrol. 



In order that the chief might be relieved of a great deal of the 

 routine office work so that he could spend more time in the field. Deputy 

 S. R. Briggs, who had been doing patrol work in the San Joaquin 



