Police Wildlife Units and Specialist Officers

Police wildlife units and dedicated wildlife crime officers play a crucial role in investigating crimes against animals, building the specialist expertise needed to detect and prosecute complex wildlife offences.

Key Facts

Every UK police force is required to have at least one Wildlife Crime Officer (WCO)
WCOs receive specialist training from the College of Policing and partner agencies including the RSPB and NWCU
Wildlife crime often intersects with other serious crime including organised crime and money laundering
Scotland has a particularly strong wildlife crime policing infrastructure due to the scale of land-based offences
The NWCU provides intelligence, expertise and support to police forces across the UK

Welfare Considerations

Police wildlife units are the frontline of legal protection for wild animals. Their capacity to investigate, gather evidence and secure prosecutions directly determines whether wildlife crime is deterred. Under-resourcing of wildlife policing means many crimes go uninvestigated, with serious animal welfare consequences. Specialist officers develop relationships with rural communities, conservationists and rehabilitators, creating the intelligence networks necessary to detect well-concealed crimes such as raptor poisoning and badger baiting.

What You Can Do

Know your local Wildlife Crime Officer and how to contact them
Support resourcing campaigns for police wildlife units
Report all suspected wildlife crimes — even partial information can complete an investigation
Attend police wildlife crime public meetings to raise local concerns
Advocate for wildlife crime to be treated as seriously as other serious crimes in your area