Public consciousness and law influence in forest crimes in Kastamonu Regional Forest Directorate

The aim of this study is to assess the forest crimes committed in Kastamonu Regional Forest Directorate (KRFD), where forest areas are densely located, and to examine the influences of law and public awareness on the change of crime rates. Nowadays, as the benefits of the forests are gaining importance, efforts made to make use of the rules of law in the protection of forests and to raise public awareness on this issue are also increasing. In this study, first of all, the concepts of crime and forest crime were examined and then the types of forest crimes and the measures taken against them were evaluated. Afterwards, a questionnaire study was conducted with the people living in the villages affiliated to the KRFD, which was chosen as the sample field. Through the questionnaire, the public's awareness of forest crimes and penalties were investigated as well as the reasons leading them to commit or not to commit forest crimes. In addition, the perspective of the society on the forest was also assessed with the help of the questionnaire in order to reduce the crime rates and to increase the effectiveness of the law. If the public is aware of forest crimes and penalties sufficiently, and the crime rates are low in the region because of the fact that they obey the rules, the efficiency of the law can be said to be high. This is important in terms of reducing the forest crime rates, preserving forest assets, sustainable forestry and transferring it to future generations, and thus the legal rules meet their objectives. However, in case the crime rate is high despite the fact that the public awareness on forest crimes is sufficient, it is clear that the effectiveness of the law is low and other measures will be necessary to be taken.