News Release

FWC hosts Midwest law enforcement conference

For immediate release, May 6, 2008
Contact: Carol Pratt, 850-251-2212

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hosting the Association of Midwest Fish and Game Law Enforcement Officers conference, May 3-7. The conference will be in St. Petersburg with 16 member agencies, including some from Canada, in attendance.

Though the organization was established among Midwest states in 1944, it has grown to include others, including Florida. The organization focuses on multiple-state partnerships among fish and wildlife conservation law enforcement agencies.

FWC Executive Director Ken Haddad addressed the group Monday (May 5) morning. The content of his message was leadership and the importance of passing on leadership to upcoming agency members.

The FWC’s director of the Division of Law Enforcement, Col. Julie Jones, is the organization’s president.

Director W. Craig Fugate, of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, will present the benefits of Emergency Management Action Compacts among states when helping neighboring state agencies during and after natural and manmade disasters. In addition, he will give an overview of the Florida State Emergency Operations Center to include a brief explanation of the Emergency Support Functions role. During Fugate’s tenure since 2001, he has dealt with more than 25 declared state emergencies, 13 of which were presidentially declared disasters.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and state agencies have a history of partnering to combat natural resource crimes. Special Agent Andrew Aloise of the FWS will discuss the importance of agency agreements and partnering at the federal and state levels.

In addition, the conference will include presentations on invasive nonnative plants and animals, intelligence-gathering and sharing, and forensics.

Tuesday afternoon, the designated area waterborne response teams, made up of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, will conduct emergency-response training to include a brief demonstration of equipment and tactics.