OGT Hotline: See an intoxicated boater? Witness an 
environmental crime? Now there's an easier way to report them. 
That's coming up on Passport To Texas.


Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife.


With a state as big as ours, it's hard for game wardens to cover 
every inch of it. The Operation Game Thief hotline has 
successfully served as an extension of law enforcement, 
allowing the public to report poaching...but now, thanks to a 
recently passed house bill, the hotline has been expanded to 
include other outdoor crimes.


"This bill has enhanced this to where we can receive calls for 
boating while intoxicated and environmental crimes, and other 
things besides hunting and fishing violations."


David Sinclair is the Chief of Wildlife Enforcement for Texas 
Parks and Wildlife. Beginning September first, callers to 
1-800-792-G-A-M-E, will be able to report suspicious activity. 
All callers can remain anonymous, and if your tip leads to an 
arrest and conviction you are eligible for a reward.


"If they think someone is intoxicated and operating a boat, 
they can call that in. If there is someone that they think there 
is some kind of environmental violation, like dumping waste 
or oil or whatever it might be, large or small, we will respond 
to those calls."


The hotline is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 
Over the life of the program, more than 28-thousand calls 
have been received and almost 1.2 million dollars in fines 
assessed. To learn more about Operation Game Thief, 
come to passporttotexas.org. For Texas Parks and 
Wildlife, I'm Joel Block