Iowa park rangers get semi-automatic rifles

Park rangers in Iowa recently started carrying semi-automatic rifles.

The Iowa Department of National Resources has armed its 34 park rangers with AR-15 rifles, which are a civilian version of M-16 rifles, said DNR spokesman Kevin Baskins. The park rangers were previously armed with handguns and shotguns, he said.

The DNR purchased a total of 37 rifles, costing about $1,400 each, Baskins said.

All park rangers participated in a three-day training for the semi-automatic rifles last week, he said. All park rangers had to test at 80 percent proficiency for shooting various distances in order to be allowed to carry the new guns.

It may seem unusual for park rangers to be armed, but Baskins said the public often forgets park rangers are sworn peace officers, like police officers and sheriff's deputies.

"They are full-fledged law enforcement officers in the state of Iowa," he said.

One motivation for arming park rangers is that most of them work alone in remote areas, Baskins added.

Also, park rangers are sometimes called to assist other law enforcement agencies, so the DNR wants to make sure the rangers are properly equipped to assist, Baskins said.