23 new conservation officers graduate training

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Law Enforcement held graduation ceremonies today at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis. Twenty-three new Indiana Conservation Officers officially joined the division during the event.

Conservation Officer Matt Tholen, the 2023 James D. Pitzer Officer of the Year, administered the oath of office to the recruits, who will fill positions in various locations around the state.

The new officers represent the 41st recruit class of conservation officers, making them members of the oldest state law enforcement agency in Indiana.

The officers and their assignment locations (by county) are:

• Kirk Bascu (Boone)
• Gregory Bolt (Noble)
• Gustavo Canas (Marion)
• Caleb Coe (Huntington)
• Joshua Doane (Orange)
• Lance Gaerte (Washington)
• Logan Harris (Parke)
• Howard Hobson (Wayne)
• Anthony Howard (Starke)
• Derick Huffman (Monroe)
• Anthony Hummel (Shelby)
• Brendan Lane (Elkhart)
• Thomas Lovell (Marion)
• Hunter McCormick (Vanderburgh)
• Garrett Mobley (Porter)
• Blaine Patterson (Clay)
• Madalyn Pedigo (Washington)
• Olivia Seifert (DeKalb)
• Cayden Sotelo (Franklin)
• Kaden Tepe (Decatur)
• Mackenzie Umbaugh (St. Joseph)
• Fowler Walters IV (Vanderburgh)
• Zachary Weir (Fountain)

The new officers completed six weeks of recruit training and will next attend the 15-week basic law enforcement academy. Upon completion of the academy, officers will complete additional specialized training before doing 90 shifts of field training.

The DNR employs 214 conservation officers who, in addition to enforcing state laws, are often called upon to help during emergencies and natural disasters. They also engage in non-law enforcement activities such as outdoor instructional programs, including boater, hunter, snowmobile, and trapper education. The division's specialty response, river rescue, cave rescue, underwater search and recovery units, and its K-9 teams are available statewide as needed.