ILLINOIS AUDUBON BULLETIN 7 
camper in this state with the responsibility of protecting not only our 
resources but themselves from the depredations of a few reckless and 
deliberately careless individuals. 
I know that as you read these words many interested persons are 
thinking what position they can take to assist law enforcement in their 
endeavor to protect themselves and other persons and certainly assuming 
the responsibility of assisting other persons whether they are your fellow 
citizens or law enforcement officers is a heavy burden, but one we must 
accept if we are to in some way control the problem. I would first of all 
hope that no person believes that I am requesting any type of action in 
the form of citizens arrest. An action which is extremely dangerous to the 
individual who performs the arrest and can result in serious injury or 
even death to that individual. I am merely asking that individuals 
understand that the identification of a serious violator is the first step in 
the process of prosecution and adjudication of the offense. 
To actually assist law enforcement and assume some responsibility 
there are several steps which must be taken. 
1. If you observe a violation which you know for certain is a breach 
of the law, if a vehicle is involved you should obtain the specific 
colors of the vehicle, the make, the model such as sedan, coupe, 
hardtop sedan, pickup truck; and if at all possible a correct license 
number. 
2. Identification of the offender is the most important part of the 
process. Merely identifying a vehicle in any offense is not neces- 
sarily sufficient information. This may lead to the apprehension 
but it is of utmost importance that you are able to identify the 
offender in a courtroom or in the presence of the investigating 
officer. | 
3. If you cannot contact a Conservation Officer immediately, call the 
nearest county or state law enforcement agency, that is the 
Sheriff’s Office or State Police and advise them that an offense 
has been committed and that you are willing to either act as a 
witness or sign a complaint as necessary. 
4. If the offender is known to you and you are willing to take that 
action necessary to prosecute the offender, you may do so by 
calling and personally contacting at a later time your States 
Attorney and signing a complaint against the offender. If on the 
other hand you report the offense and the person who committed 
the offense is apprehended by a Peace Officer, you should be 
willing to testify against this person and identify him in court. 
The above are merely the basic points which you should keep in 
