By Press Release
Photos by Meghan Marchetti/DWR
On August 29, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Law Enforcement Division welcomed 19 recruits to the rank of Conservation Police Officers (CPO) at the graduation of the 13th Law Enforcement Academy.
The DWR Law Enforcement Academy consists of 27 weeks of intensive training including firearm proficiency, crime scene investigations, tactical tracking, impaired driving enforcement, operating watercraft, and driving multiple vehicles including four-wheel drive and all-terrain vehicles.
Crime scene investigation training. Photo by DWR
On-the-water training. Photo by DWR
The new CPOs have begun 14 weeks of field training in their assigned areas with a designated Field Training Officer. This will enable them to get the first-hand, front-line experiences that will set them up for success as they progress in their careers at DWR.
New Conservation Police Officers and the areas they are assigned:
- Hayden Ambrose Essex County
- Nathan Barden Dinwiddie County
- Nathan Brubaker Amelia County
- Crystal Cabrera Stafford County
- Noah Chandler Cumberland County
- Cody Fisher Halifax County
- Ethan Goodman Bland County
- Ethan Hall Dickenson County
- Kabren Jones King George County
- Jacob Merica Campbell County
- Brian Peebles Carroll County
- Cooper Price (U.S. Marines) Lunenburg County
- Gabriel Riggleman Highland County
- Alexander Schultz (U.S. Army) James City County
- Joshua Tetro Appomattox Couty
- Michael Wakefield (U.S. Navy) Louisa County
- Nathaniel Whitby Charlotte County
- Tyler Wilson Floyd County
- Seth Zolda Fluvanna County
Awards were presented at the ceremony to recognize the hard work and proficiency of the recruits. They are as follows:
COLONEL’S AWARD
The Colonel’s Award is presented to the CPO recruit with the highest test average in the recruit class. This includes nine exams administered in the Academy and the final law enforcement certification exam administered by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). These exams included 1,284 questions covering objectives set by DCJS, in the areas of professionalism, legal issues, communications, patrol, investigations, and defensive tactics/use of force. Other exams taken during the Basic Academy addressed the non-traditional functions that pertain specifically to the unique law enforcement duties of Virginia CPOs. These include marine theft investigation, hunting incident investigation, and laws and regulations specifically pertaining to hunting, fishing, trapping, and boating. With an average test score of 88.16, the Colonel’s Award recipient was Officer Seth Zolda.
BOARD AWARD
The Board of Wildlife Resources Award is given to the recruit who displays exceptional overall performance during the entire course of training. The recipient was selected for their motivation, professionalism, peer leadership, and for being an inspiration to others. They are also recognized for their support of the Academy and staff by providing outstanding logistical and administrative support. The recipient of the Board Award was Officer Nathaniel Whitby.
MOST PHYSICALLY FIT AWARD
The Most Physically Fit Award is given to the CPO recruit with the best overall performance in the three areas tested by the Basic Training Academy. The recruits were required to participate in near daily physical training for the entire 27-week period of the Basic Academy. This program consisted of CrossFit style workouts, swimming, and running. The four performance areas tested were push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and a mile-and-a-half run. The scores were compiled and reviewed by the instructors who assisted with physical training and then confirmed by Academy staff. The recipient of the Most Physically Fit Award was Officer Cooper Price.
Fitness training. Photo by DWR
TOP SHOT AWARD
The Top Shot Award is given to the CPO recruit with the highest overall qualification scores on firearms courses. Recruits were required to demonstrate proficiency with their issued pistol and rifle during day and night courses in a variety of demanding situations over the course of a two-week training period where each recruit fired well over 1,000 rounds. During the six scored qualifying courses, this officer shot an average score of 98.3. The recipient of the Top Shot Award was Officer Nathanial Whitby.
Marksmanship training.
OUTSTANDING DRIVER AWARD
The Outstanding Driver Award is given to the CPO recruit with the highest overall qualification scores on all driving courses. The selection is based solely on scores earned during the 48-hour block of driver training during the Academy. Due to the nature of the locations DWR officers are required to access and patrol, four-wheel drive vehicles are among the primary focus during this training. Training for this type of vehicle goes beyond the customary training for sedan patrol vehicles utilized by other law enforcement agencies. Driving courses include asphalt precision courses, high-speed reaction courses, emergency vehicle operations course, off-road obstacle negotiation, all-terrain vehicle operation, gravel surface braking course, and three different trailer backing courses. This officer earned a score of 97.8 on the evaluation of these courses. The recipient of the Outstanding Driver Award was Officer Tyler Wilson.
TOP BOATING AWARD
The Top Boating Award is given to the recruit who displays exceptional overall performance during the two weeks of on the water boat operation training. This training consisted of operating a variety of patrol boats ranging from SAFE boats to tiller steer Jon boats. This award was voted on by the Boating Cadre who instructed, evaluated, and worked alongside the recruits throughout the training. This recipient demonstrated the best overall boating operation skills and most successfully applied these fundamentals in real world scenarios. The recipient of the Top Boating Award was Officer Jacob Merica.
VCPA AWARD
The Virginia Conservation Police Association (VCPA) has served CPOs, formerly known as Game Wardens, with the mission of serving people and wildlife since 1981. The first VCPA Motivating Member Award is presented to the individual who demonstrated outstanding performance throughout the academy. This recruit provided mentorship, passion, and motivation to the other recruits throughout the academy. This recruit was quick to volunteer to assist others, be someone’s partner, and genuinely looked out for their fellow recruits throughout the entire 27-week academy. This recruit member demonstrated the core values of the VCPA and stood out as a compassionate teammate within the academy class. The recipient of the VCPA Motivating Member Award was Officer Kabren Jones.
If you are interested in serving the Commonwealth as a Conservation Police Officer, applications are currently being accepted. For more information, please visit the recruitment webpage.