Wei-Wei Lin serves as a game warden in the Hill Country after holding posts in Dallas/Fort Worth, the Gulf Coast and South Texas. She was often featured on the TV show “Lone Star Law.” She is happy to answer your questions about the Texas outdoors.
Q: Hello Wei-Wei! which state park is the one where you work? I want to keep a look out for you while traveling.
A: Well, I do not (usually) work in state parks! I get a variation of this question several times a year. This question is more prevalent in urban areas and near Texas state parks, where the public may have met a state park police officer but may not be aware of Texas game wardens. The State Parks Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) holds a special place in my heart, so I want to clarify the differences and similarities between Texas game wardens and state park police officers.
As a Texas game warden, I am assigned to patrol a specific Texas county. My role focuses on enforcing Texas Parks and Wildlife code, which is a large section of Texas law encompassing hunting, fishing, boating and recreational law. As a licensed peace officer, I also enforce all other state laws. This means I can write a ticket for fishing without a license and boating while intoxicated in a single exchange. Don't worry! Those visits are few and far apart. Enforcing all Texas laws allows me to collaborate and respond with local law enforcement who may need my assistance in a critical incident or investigation.
My state park police counterparts also play a pivotal law enforcement role in protecting our state natural resources with an emphasis on patrolling in their assigned state parks and historic sites. Like game wardens, they can enforce all state regulations. Despite our assigned patrol areas, game wardens can and do patrol in state parks, and park police can and do patrol outside of their assigned parks.
In terms of appearance, we wear the same uniform, except for the writing on our patches, which differentiates between “Texas Game Warden” and “State Park Police.” Wardens drive dark gray patrol trucks, while park police drive white patrol trucks.
In 2014, park police integrated into the Texas Game Warden Training Academy in Central Texas. Both wardens and park police must attend and complete the same academy to graduate. Today, we work side-by-side in natural disaster response (flooding, hurricane, fire, etc.) and specialized teams such as dive, critical incident and drone teams.
When I began my Texas game warden career in North Texas, I was introduced to the state park police officers in my region. Together, we worked on local lakes checking anglers, waterfowl hunters and boaters. When I moved to the coast, I maintained similar relationships with my counterparts working at Mustang Island State Park and Lake Corpus Christi State Park. I try my best to keep open communications with my local state parks and natural areas, especially in rural portions of Texas. Game wardens and park police officers may be the nearest police officers during an emergency.
Just this past year, while watching the news during major flooding, I saw game wardens and park police on airboats conducting water rescues. I recognized one of the airboat operators as a fellow park police classmate who attended the same airboat operator training as I did. I was thrilled to see such a qualified park police officer working closely with Texas game wardens to assist Texans in need.
Simply put, it is awesome to serve a state agency where I work so closely with state park police officers as well as local police departments. I keep in touch with the local state park police officers and even attend their meetings and trainings. I often involve local state park police in events and programs since they can provide resources and assistance to Texas game wardens and other agencies, which ultimately supports our TPWD mission statement through teamwork!.
Until next time. Stay safe, y'all!
Have a question for the game warden? Email us at magazine@tpwd.texas.gov and we will pass it along to Wei-Wei.
