Adds 18 New Wildlife Officers to the Ranks
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Law Enforcement Academy Class #60 added 18 new wildlife officers to the ranks of those who have dedicated their lives to the protection of California’s incredible natural resources.
The graduation ceremony took place Friday, Aug. 11 at the Paradise Performing Arts Center in Paradise (appropriate name!). The 18 new wildlife officers will be going directly into CDFW’s Field Training Officer (FTO) program to put their training into practice under the close supervision of experienced FTOs. Twelve cadets paid their way through the Academy as “self-sponsors” and will apply for a law enforcement position with a different agency or with CDFW’s Law Enforcement Division.
CDFW also announced the recent hiring of four full-time peace officers as new CDFW wildlife officers. They will receive additional wildlife law enforcement specific training at the Academy prior to beginning their FTO Programs.
“Our cadets and Academy staff have worked tirelessly every day during the duration of the Academy to help develop necessary skills they will need to protect California’s natural resources and the California’s communities for generations to come,” said David Bess, CDFW Chief of Law Enforcement.
CDFW’s Wildlife Officer Academy is certified through the California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and offers training consistent with every law enforcement agency in California. Field training with experienced FTOs is also mandated by POST to be sure new wildlife officers can apply the skills they learned during the academy to real life circumstances. Upon successful completion, these officers will begin protecting the natural resources of this great state.
Wildlife officers make contact with more than 295,000 people annually and issue more than 15,000 citations. These officers primarily work alone, in remote areas, contacting subjects who almost always have some form of weapon, and knowing that backup could be hours away. The average California wildlife officer’s patrol district exceeds 500 square miles.
The Law Enforcement Division will be accepting applications through Sept. 30, 2017, for the Academy beginning in January 2019. For more information about becoming a wildlife officer and the application timeline, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/enforcement/career.