Professor of Criminal Justice at Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI. Former staff at US Attorney's Office, Chicago, IL and research analyst at the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC/ Greg received the NMU Distinguished Faculty Title in 2008 and the Faculty Merit Award for Full Professors in 2016.
Greg has been actively researching various aspects of the international illegal wildlife trade since 2001. He has done field research in ten African and one European nation on this offense. Greg's research has resulted in one book (Exploiting the Wilderness, Temple University Press, 2017) and numerous peer reviewed articles and book chapters. He also used the results of his research on wildlife trafficking to create a minor program at his university called Wildlife Conservation Law and Policing. This program consists of three specialized classes in wildlife crimes and laws and two additional courses in environmental science. Dr. Warchol also has 20 years of online teaching experience using a variety of platforms. Phone: 906-227-2660 Address: Department of Criminal Justice 2500 Jamrich Hall Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI 49855
... A review of the local newspapers in Belize City revealed numerous articles on this ... While ... more ... A review of the local newspapers in Belize City revealed numerous articles on this ... While the government's efforts to combat cocaine trafficking had mixed results, Belize police have ... A large marijuana production and distribution business run by several Mennonite farmers was ...
Policing the Global South: Colonial Legacies, Pluralities, Partnerships, and Reform”, Chapter 24. Danielle Watson, Sara Amin, Wendell Wallace, Oluwagbenga Akinlabi and Juan Carlos Ruiz Vasquez (editors). Routledge Publishing. , 2022
During the colonization of East and southern Africa, British and German administrations establish... more During the colonization of East and southern Africa, British and German administrations established the game reserves based on European models of conservation. The objective was to limit Africans from using the land and its resources by reserving their exclusive use for the new governing class. This period ushered in restrictive wildlife legislation and the creation of specialized security forces, i.e., rangers. These developments conflicted with centuries old wildlife usage practices of the indigenous African populations. With the end of the European colonial period, new African leaders often resisted changing the laws due to their political patronage and financial benefits, which in turn failed to alleviate decades-old problems. Ranger units, the enforcement mechanism to protect these areas, are sometimes criticized for corruption, patronage and the latest practice of militarization. This chapter examines the history of these developments and their impact on local African populations living adjacent to the protected areas and proposes solutions.
International Journal of Environmental Studies, 2018
Hardly a week goes by without illegal perlemoen (abalone) consignments being intercepted by the p... more Hardly a week goes by without illegal perlemoen (abalone) consignments being intercepted by the police reacting to tipoffs by the public either in the suburban hiding places where they are dried before shipment [1] or in transit on the N1 or N2 highways around Cape Town between the coast and such ‘factories’ and points of egress to international markets. Neighbours in the suburbs are usually alerted by the rank odour while the perlemoen are being dried. The giveaway smell of the product is counteracted by packing the dried perlemoen in sealed, plastic bags before shipment. In spite of this apparent success in apprehending suspects, the illegal activities have greatly increased since the 1990s coinciding with increased demand from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan and ‘inefficiencies’ (p. 48) caused by the change of government in 1994 South Africa according to Warchol. One can only speculate about the tonnage that escapes detection, by extrapolating from that intercepted by the auth...
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 2012
Of the various aspects of law enforcement, few studies have focused on those responsible for prot... more Of the various aspects of law enforcement, few studies have focused on those responsible for protecting wildlife conservation areas. Even less has been written on this from an international perspective where the protection of natural resources including flora and fauna can be of paramount importance for developing nations. To contribute to the literature about this subject, this research explores the
Over the last few years the wholesale slaughter of rhinoceroses (rhinos) in South Africa has unce... more Over the last few years the wholesale slaughter of rhinoceroses (rhinos) in South Africa has unceremoniously thrust conservation crime into the news. Not only is the wanton massacre of these animals abhorrent in itself, but it becomes even more so when one considers that they are generally being decimated on managed protected areas and nature reserves. During 2010, for example, 333 rhinos were poached across South Africa, 146 of them from within the precincts of the Kruger National Park, South Africa's premier wildlife conservation area. By April 2011 South Africa had lost a further 114 rhinos to poaching and current estimates are that in South Africa we will, on average, lose one rhino per day. Conservation law violations encompass many offences against the natural environment, a common one being wildlife poaching. Previous research has often described the extent and impact of poaching as offender behaviour. While it has indisputably contributed to an understanding of this crim...
White Gold: The African Elephant and the Illegal Wildlife Trade, 2020
A photographic illustration of the plight of the African elephant due to the illegal wildlife tra... more A photographic illustration of the plight of the African elephant due to the illegal wildlife trade. This is a collection of images I took representing the poaching of African elephants for their ivory. This was assembled and published using the BookWright software from Blurb.com. This is not intended to be a scholarly publication. Rather it is a visual supplement to my other research on wildlife crime on this site.
Wildlife poaching has long been a subject of interest in academia. Research by biologists, zoolog... more Wildlife poaching has long been a subject of interest in academia. Research by biologists, zoologists and environmental scientists mostly focused on the impact of these crimes on wildlife populations and their habitat. More recently, criminologists interested in different types of environmental crimes, have started studying poaching.
The illicit trade in African wildlife has a lengthy history with devastating effect on select spe... more The illicit trade in African wildlife has a lengthy history with devastating effect on select species. While considerable research addresses the impact of the trade on rhinoceros and elephant, the poaching of the reptiles, birds and marine life comprises a significantly greater volume of wildlife yet receives somewhat less attention. To better understand these aspects of the illegal trade, this study focuses on abalone, a highly desired and protected shellfish found off the Western Cape of South Africa and heavily targeted by poachers to meet demand in South Africa and parts of East Asia. Relying on qualitative data from field research, this study examines the nature of the illicit trade including poachers, smuggling techniques and the challenges for enforcement of the conservation laws through the lens of routine activity theory. The results indicate that routine activities theory may provide a viable theoretical construct to better understand the nature of abalone poaching and develop solutions to the problem.
The illicit trade in African wildlife has a lengthy history with devastating effect on select spe... more The illicit trade in African wildlife has a lengthy history with devastating effect on select species. While considerable research addresses the impact of the trade on rhinoceros and elephant, the poaching of the reptiles, birds and marine life comprises a significantly greater volume of wildlife yet receives somewhat less attention. To better understand these aspects of the illegal trade, this study focuses on abalone, a highly desired and protected shellfish found off the Western Cape of South Africa and heavily targeted by poachers to meet demand in South Africa and parts of East Asia. Relying on qualitative data from field research, this study examines the nature of the illicit trade including poachers, smuggling techniques and the challenges for enforcement of the conservation laws through the lens of routine activity theory. The results indicate that routine activities theory may provide a viable theoretical construct to better understand the nature of abalone poaching and develop solutions to the problem.
... Year-round hunting prevented animal populations from recovering (Burgener, Snyman & Hauck... more ... Year-round hunting prevented animal populations from recovering (Burgener, Snyman & Hauck, 2001). While much bushmeat hunting on unpro-tected lands was not illegal, once local game was exhausted, hunters often became poachers, illegally entering the public and ...
Police Studies: Intnl Review of Police Development, 1996
Police Studies Vol. 19, No. 3 1996 51 Criminal Forfeiture: An Effective Alternative to Civil and ... more Police Studies Vol. 19, No. 3 1996 51 Criminal Forfeiture: An Effective Alternative to Civil and Administrative Proceedings Greg L. Warchol Bemidji State University Dennis M. Payne Michigan State University Brian R. Johnson Grand Valley State University ABSTRACT Property ...
Beginning in the early 1980's, intensive supervision probation was increasingly viewed as a ... more Beginning in the early 1980's, intensive supervision probation was increasingly viewed as a popular sentencing alternative to conventional probation and incarceration for specific types of high‐risk offenders. Evaluations of intensive probation however, have raised doubts about its effectiveness in reducing recidivism among high‐risk offenders. Using a quasi experimental multiple interrupted time series research design, this study compares recidivism rates for high‐risk repeat DWI offenders in an intensive supervision probation program to repeat DWI offenders who were sentenced to incarceration. The results indicate that offenders who were sentenced to and completed intensive supervision probation had a lower rate of recidivism than those offenders sentenced to incarceration.
Bounty hunters are employed by the bail industry to locate and apprehend criminal defendants who ... more Bounty hunters are employed by the bail industry to locate and apprehend criminal defendants who “skip” bail and, subsequently, fail to appear for court appointments. While some scholars have examined bounty hunters, this work is concerned primarily with the origins, history, and legal challenges to the industry and its practices. Popular literature on this subject has created the “myth” of the bounty hunter, but it has failed to provide an accurate portrayal of the activities these individuals perform. Through the use of field research methods, this study provides a better understanding of the role that bail agents and bounty hunters play in the criminal justice system.
The objective of this article is to explore how property seized under the federal civil-judicial ... more The objective of this article is to explore how property seized under the federal civil-judicial forfeiture laws for drug law violations is proceeded against by the government. The methodology is primarily exploratory. A sample of federal civil-judicial drug forfeiture cases is described and then analyzed in regard to the relative importance of the cases’ characteristics. The findings raise serious questions about the use of this policy and the government’s intent behind forfeiture. Implications and suggestions for future research are also presented.
... A review of the local newspapers in Belize City revealed numerous articles on this ... While ... more ... A review of the local newspapers in Belize City revealed numerous articles on this ... While the government's efforts to combat cocaine trafficking had mixed results, Belize police have ... A large marijuana production and distribution business run by several Mennonite farmers was ...
Policing the Global South: Colonial Legacies, Pluralities, Partnerships, and Reform”, Chapter 24. Danielle Watson, Sara Amin, Wendell Wallace, Oluwagbenga Akinlabi and Juan Carlos Ruiz Vasquez (editors). Routledge Publishing. , 2022
During the colonization of East and southern Africa, British and German administrations establish... more During the colonization of East and southern Africa, British and German administrations established the game reserves based on European models of conservation. The objective was to limit Africans from using the land and its resources by reserving their exclusive use for the new governing class. This period ushered in restrictive wildlife legislation and the creation of specialized security forces, i.e., rangers. These developments conflicted with centuries old wildlife usage practices of the indigenous African populations. With the end of the European colonial period, new African leaders often resisted changing the laws due to their political patronage and financial benefits, which in turn failed to alleviate decades-old problems. Ranger units, the enforcement mechanism to protect these areas, are sometimes criticized for corruption, patronage and the latest practice of militarization. This chapter examines the history of these developments and their impact on local African populations living adjacent to the protected areas and proposes solutions.
International Journal of Environmental Studies, 2018
Hardly a week goes by without illegal perlemoen (abalone) consignments being intercepted by the p... more Hardly a week goes by without illegal perlemoen (abalone) consignments being intercepted by the police reacting to tipoffs by the public either in the suburban hiding places where they are dried before shipment [1] or in transit on the N1 or N2 highways around Cape Town between the coast and such ‘factories’ and points of egress to international markets. Neighbours in the suburbs are usually alerted by the rank odour while the perlemoen are being dried. The giveaway smell of the product is counteracted by packing the dried perlemoen in sealed, plastic bags before shipment. In spite of this apparent success in apprehending suspects, the illegal activities have greatly increased since the 1990s coinciding with increased demand from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan and ‘inefficiencies’ (p. 48) caused by the change of government in 1994 South Africa according to Warchol. One can only speculate about the tonnage that escapes detection, by extrapolating from that intercepted by the auth...
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 2012
Of the various aspects of law enforcement, few studies have focused on those responsible for prot... more Of the various aspects of law enforcement, few studies have focused on those responsible for protecting wildlife conservation areas. Even less has been written on this from an international perspective where the protection of natural resources including flora and fauna can be of paramount importance for developing nations. To contribute to the literature about this subject, this research explores the
Over the last few years the wholesale slaughter of rhinoceroses (rhinos) in South Africa has unce... more Over the last few years the wholesale slaughter of rhinoceroses (rhinos) in South Africa has unceremoniously thrust conservation crime into the news. Not only is the wanton massacre of these animals abhorrent in itself, but it becomes even more so when one considers that they are generally being decimated on managed protected areas and nature reserves. During 2010, for example, 333 rhinos were poached across South Africa, 146 of them from within the precincts of the Kruger National Park, South Africa's premier wildlife conservation area. By April 2011 South Africa had lost a further 114 rhinos to poaching and current estimates are that in South Africa we will, on average, lose one rhino per day. Conservation law violations encompass many offences against the natural environment, a common one being wildlife poaching. Previous research has often described the extent and impact of poaching as offender behaviour. While it has indisputably contributed to an understanding of this crim...
White Gold: The African Elephant and the Illegal Wildlife Trade, 2020
A photographic illustration of the plight of the African elephant due to the illegal wildlife tra... more A photographic illustration of the plight of the African elephant due to the illegal wildlife trade. This is a collection of images I took representing the poaching of African elephants for their ivory. This was assembled and published using the BookWright software from Blurb.com. This is not intended to be a scholarly publication. Rather it is a visual supplement to my other research on wildlife crime on this site.
Wildlife poaching has long been a subject of interest in academia. Research by biologists, zoolog... more Wildlife poaching has long been a subject of interest in academia. Research by biologists, zoologists and environmental scientists mostly focused on the impact of these crimes on wildlife populations and their habitat. More recently, criminologists interested in different types of environmental crimes, have started studying poaching.
The illicit trade in African wildlife has a lengthy history with devastating effect on select spe... more The illicit trade in African wildlife has a lengthy history with devastating effect on select species. While considerable research addresses the impact of the trade on rhinoceros and elephant, the poaching of the reptiles, birds and marine life comprises a significantly greater volume of wildlife yet receives somewhat less attention. To better understand these aspects of the illegal trade, this study focuses on abalone, a highly desired and protected shellfish found off the Western Cape of South Africa and heavily targeted by poachers to meet demand in South Africa and parts of East Asia. Relying on qualitative data from field research, this study examines the nature of the illicit trade including poachers, smuggling techniques and the challenges for enforcement of the conservation laws through the lens of routine activity theory. The results indicate that routine activities theory may provide a viable theoretical construct to better understand the nature of abalone poaching and develop solutions to the problem.
The illicit trade in African wildlife has a lengthy history with devastating effect on select spe... more The illicit trade in African wildlife has a lengthy history with devastating effect on select species. While considerable research addresses the impact of the trade on rhinoceros and elephant, the poaching of the reptiles, birds and marine life comprises a significantly greater volume of wildlife yet receives somewhat less attention. To better understand these aspects of the illegal trade, this study focuses on abalone, a highly desired and protected shellfish found off the Western Cape of South Africa and heavily targeted by poachers to meet demand in South Africa and parts of East Asia. Relying on qualitative data from field research, this study examines the nature of the illicit trade including poachers, smuggling techniques and the challenges for enforcement of the conservation laws through the lens of routine activity theory. The results indicate that routine activities theory may provide a viable theoretical construct to better understand the nature of abalone poaching and develop solutions to the problem.
... Year-round hunting prevented animal populations from recovering (Burgener, Snyman & Hauck... more ... Year-round hunting prevented animal populations from recovering (Burgener, Snyman & Hauck, 2001). While much bushmeat hunting on unpro-tected lands was not illegal, once local game was exhausted, hunters often became poachers, illegally entering the public and ...
Police Studies: Intnl Review of Police Development, 1996
Police Studies Vol. 19, No. 3 1996 51 Criminal Forfeiture: An Effective Alternative to Civil and ... more Police Studies Vol. 19, No. 3 1996 51 Criminal Forfeiture: An Effective Alternative to Civil and Administrative Proceedings Greg L. Warchol Bemidji State University Dennis M. Payne Michigan State University Brian R. Johnson Grand Valley State University ABSTRACT Property ...
Beginning in the early 1980's, intensive supervision probation was increasingly viewed as a ... more Beginning in the early 1980's, intensive supervision probation was increasingly viewed as a popular sentencing alternative to conventional probation and incarceration for specific types of high‐risk offenders. Evaluations of intensive probation however, have raised doubts about its effectiveness in reducing recidivism among high‐risk offenders. Using a quasi experimental multiple interrupted time series research design, this study compares recidivism rates for high‐risk repeat DWI offenders in an intensive supervision probation program to repeat DWI offenders who were sentenced to incarceration. The results indicate that offenders who were sentenced to and completed intensive supervision probation had a lower rate of recidivism than those offenders sentenced to incarceration.
Bounty hunters are employed by the bail industry to locate and apprehend criminal defendants who ... more Bounty hunters are employed by the bail industry to locate and apprehend criminal defendants who “skip” bail and, subsequently, fail to appear for court appointments. While some scholars have examined bounty hunters, this work is concerned primarily with the origins, history, and legal challenges to the industry and its practices. Popular literature on this subject has created the “myth” of the bounty hunter, but it has failed to provide an accurate portrayal of the activities these individuals perform. Through the use of field research methods, this study provides a better understanding of the role that bail agents and bounty hunters play in the criminal justice system.
The objective of this article is to explore how property seized under the federal civil-judicial ... more The objective of this article is to explore how property seized under the federal civil-judicial forfeiture laws for drug law violations is proceeded against by the government. The methodology is primarily exploratory. A sample of federal civil-judicial drug forfeiture cases is described and then analyzed in regard to the relative importance of the cases’ characteristics. The findings raise serious questions about the use of this policy and the government’s intent behind forfeiture. Implications and suggestions for future research are also presented.
Illegally harvested ivory and endangered plants, mammals, reptiles, birds, and even insects are e... more Illegally harvested ivory and endangered plants, mammals, reptiles, birds, and even insects are easily found for sale throughout East and Southern Africa. And this is just one part of the multi-billion-dollar illegal global trade in wildlife. Wildlife is an important and even vital asset for both intrinsic and economic reasons. Yet it is illegally exploited on a massive scale to the point where some species now risk extinction. Exploiting the Wilderness provides a concise overview of this shameful business, describing some of the main species being exploited and examining select wildlife whose survival is imperiled due to heavy pressure from poachers to meet consumer demand. Greg Warchol draws on his firsthand experience and research in Africa to examine the structure and operation of the illegal trade in wildlife. He identifies the participants as well as their motivations and operations, and explains the behavior of poachers, traffickers, and consumers of illegally obtained goods. He concludes with a description of legislative and law enforcement efforts to control and prevent wildlife exploitation along with a number of contemporary conservation initiatives designed to improve the ability of rangers to protect wildlife
This work examines the political murals of Northern Ireland's major cities of Belfast and Derry (... more This work examines the political murals of Northern Ireland's major cities of Belfast and Derry (Londonderry). Expanding on a decades old practice, the two sides in the thirty-year long struggle known as the Troubles painted thousands of large street murals on homes, businesses and walls. These murals, hundreds of which still exist, are used to express neighborhood loyalties, major political and military events, memorialize the fallen, call for justice and peace, and demonstrate a willingness to fight for freedom. Using photographs taken during two visits to the region along with information from interviews of participants on both sides, this self-published (Blurb) book presents a sample of over 70 of these murals created by the Republican and Loyalist sides along with modern social and political imagery.
I set out to provide the reader with a detailed overview of the global illegal trade in African w... more I set out to provide the reader with a detailed overview of the global illegal trade in African wildlife. The illegal trade involves the poaching, trafficking and consumption of common and endangered species. These include mammals, marine species, reptiles, birds and plants. I based my book on 12 years of fieldwork I did in Africa and the United Kingdom, and current research literature. I worked in nine east and southern African nations interviewing hundreds of individuals involved in monitoring and preventing different aspects of the illegal wildlife trade. I also did research in the UK as it is a destination country for African wildlife. The result is a book that provides a contemporary description of the nature of the wildlife trade including the species; the poachers, traffickers and consumers; the causes of these crimes; and past and current efforts to control and prevent the illegal trade.
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Papers by Gregory Warchol
Published in "The Conservation - Africa edition"
Published in "The Conservation - Africa edition"