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Fish and Game looking for volunteer cops
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By Matt Weiser
mweiser@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Wednesday, Jul. 20, 2011 - 2:25 pm
The California Department of Fish and Game is recruiting cops who want to volunteer to help protect the environment.
The new Reserve Peace Officer Program aims to partner game wardens with "conventional" law officers from city police departments, county sheriff's offices and the like who want to help catch poachers, polluters and other environmental criminals. Volunteers can be either retirees or still on the job with their local agency.
Game wardens patrol remote areas, usually alone. The force has been depleted by years of budget cuts, leaving each game warden with more to do.
Nancy Foley, the department's law enforcement chief, said volunteers will serve as a backup in a warden's vehicle as extra eyes and ears. They will wear a badge but work unpaid and will not have all the same law enforcement powers of a game warden.
"They're not going to take the place of another game warden," said Foley. "All they're going to do is make the game wardens we have a little bit safer."
Foley said the first volunteers -- three retired game wardens -- are expected to start this week.
A similar program existed in the early 1990s but was shelved because the volunteers were not certified law enforcement officers.
Candidates must pass a background check, medical and psychological evaluation, and a pre-employment physical that includes a swim test. Reserve officers may also have to complete a 40-hour field training on natural resource management and fish and game laws.
Hefty
This will fly Fish and Game looking for volunteer cops
Share
By Matt Weiser
mweiser@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Wednesday, Jul. 20, 2011 - 2:25 pm
The California Department of Fish and Game is recruiting cops who want to volunteer to help protect the environment.
The new Reserve Peace Officer Program aims to partner game wardens with "conventional" law officers from city police departments, county sheriff's offices and the like who want to help catch poachers, polluters and other environmental criminals. Volunteers can be either retirees or still on the job with their local agency.
Game wardens patrol remote areas, usually alone. The force has been depleted by years of budget cuts, leaving each game warden with more to do.
Nancy Foley, the department's law enforcement chief, said volunteers will serve as a backup in a warden's vehicle as extra eyes and ears. They will wear a badge but work unpaid and will not have all the same law enforcement powers of a game warden.
"They're not going to take the place of another game warden," said Foley. "All they're going to do is make the game wardens we have a little bit safer."
Foley said the first volunteers -- three retired game wardens -- are expected to start this week.
A similar program existed in the early 1990s but was shelved because the volunteers were not certified law enforcement officers.
Candidates must pass a background check, medical and psychological evaluation, and a pre-employment physical that includes a swim test. Reserve officers may also have to complete a 40-hour field training on natural resource management and fish and game laws.
Hefty
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