News Release

New FWC officers hit the woods and water

August 17, 2007
Contact: Carol Pratt (850) 488-4676 or (850) 251-2212

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They come from various backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common – the desire to protect the state’s natural resources. Yesterday, 34 diverse and determined recruits officially joined the ranks of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) to become conservation law enforcement officers.

Before earning that status, recruits had to complete 29 weeks of training, which included alligator handling, man-tracking, vessel operation, all-terrain vehicle driving, defensive tactics, boating safety enforcement and firearms.

FWC Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto praised the new officers.

"I’m extremely proud of this group of people,” Barreto said. "It’s not easy, but by successfully completing the academy, they have joined a professional organization dedicated to protecting the state’s precious natural resources.”

FWC’s law enforcement commander, Col. Julie Jones, also praised the new officers.

"These officers are our new ambassadors,” Jones said. "They will help people, enforce Florida’s laws and educate those whom they come in contact with about our great state and its natural resources.”

The elite group will be assigned to areas throughout Florida. As FWC officers, they will have the authority to enforce every law of the state, but enforcing fish and wildlife laws will be their primary function.

"Resource protection is what we do every day.” Jones said. "But these officers also are prepared to do their jobs in unexpected ways – whether it is helping people in hurricane-ravaged areas or assisting in search-and-rescue operations.”

The class started with 43 recruits, but nine of them dropped out after the first few weeks. The recruits who stayed and made it are eager to get to work.

A commercial fisherman had told Ben Westrope about law enforcement positions with the FWC. Westrope, who was a squad leader at the academy, formerly worked in research at NOAA. He wanted a more active role in conservation.

"I wanted to be outside with people and to continue to protect the resources,” Westrope said. "I’m ready to start working.”

Like Westrope, Naomii Tye also is ready to start working. A former laboratory technician for the Florida Dept. of Agriculture, she was drawn to the FWC because of her love of the outdoors. She duck hunts and fishes for bass.

"As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a wildlife officer,” Tye said.

Sandra Blackburn, formerly held a civilian position as hotel manager for the U.S. Army in Germany. A job with the FWC seemed like a good fit when she returned to the United States two years ago.

"I enjoy being outdoors,” Blackburn said. "I like educating and helping people.”

Building swimming pools was not something William Suggs was committed to for the rest of his life, but now he is committed to the FWC. Hailing from Pensacola, Suggs grew up hunting and fishing.

"I want to make sure my kids can enjoy the same things I did when I was a kid,” Suggs said.
In college, Suggs majored in criminology but realized he didn’t want to just drive around in a car on a regular beat. When he heard what FWC law enforcement had to offer, Suggs said, "That was it.”

After a year on the job, FWC Officer Doyle Cook returned to the academy as a counselor for this class. Cook is stationed in Southwest Florida and is glad he signed on with the FWC.

"I’m on land and on the water,” Cook said. "I like the freedom of the job. I get to go to Big Cypress, the Everglades, patrol panther zones and go out on a boat in the Ten Thousand Islands.”

As for the new graduates and what they are about to take on, Cook recommends they take the time to learn from others.

"They should model themselves after their senior officers and ask them a lot of questions,” Cook said, "because there will be a lot of them.”