Fourteen cadets have completed more than 700 hours of intensive training to become wildlife officers with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.
The group studied at the H.C. "Red" Morris Training Center east of Mayflower on Lake Conway. Graduation ceremonies for the 2014 cadet class were in October.
Maj. Jason Parker directs the cadet-training program, with many Game & Fish enforcement officers and staff members serving as instructors. Other experts participate in the teaching of specialized topics. The 14 cadets were chosen from several hundred applicants. Requirements for wildlife officer cadets include college degrees or law enforcement experience.
The 16-week training course includes police fundamentals related to wildlife work, training in proficiency with a variety of firearms, first aid and rescue basics, drug enforcement procedures and physical conditioning. The new wildlife officers have state commissions as officers with full police authority, as do the other Game & Fish wildlife officers.
Assignment of the new officers will fill several existing vacancies in the enforcement ranks. They will complete their training by going through a field-training officer program.
Outdoors on 11/20/2014