2016 SEAFWA Law Enforcement Bulletin

2016 Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN ALABAMA performance in timed push- ups, sit the state continue to increase with J. Kevin Dodd, Chief -ups and 1.5 mile run /walk are some indications of questionable graded according to age and activities spanning several states. TRAINING incorporated as part of their overall All personnel completed training in annual appraisal. Current law in Alabama prohibits new standardized Seated Field trapping of designated game animals Sobriety Training. Despite our We initiated electronic citations unless the game animal is Marine Police Division having moved (Ecite) which promises to streamline designated as a furbearer also. Feral to the consolidated state law field operations significantly and will pigs have been designated as game enforcement agency (ALEA), allow officer vehicle tracking by animals for many years for purposes interagency cooperation among our communications dispatch. Additional of requiring hunting licenses and field officers and Marine Troopers equipment purchases to facilitate this protecting property rights from remains as it has in the past. Due to tool will delay full rollout. persons pursuing feral pigs without the increasing program dependence The law enforcement section landowner permission. This game on electronic report submission, initiated an internal review of some animal designation presented a additional computer training was of our regulations addressing import conflict for landowners wishing to conducted as well. Future training or possession of potentially invasive trap nuisance pigs. Faced with an plans are to transition officers from species. The goal of this review is to uphill battle in the legislature to PPCT and SSGT to Vanguard establish a relevant list of species correct the issue we decided to list defensive survival tactics. that pose threats to Alabama’s public the feral pig as a furbearer to resources and identify methods of reconcile this legal conflict. FUNDING / STAFFING effective enforcement. We continue to face political A continued decline in our Division opposition in efforts to streamline reserve funds merited a reduction in STATE ISSUES / LEGISLATION accounting procedures for vehicle purchases and a freeze on The Alabama Department of Finance commercial deer breeders through filling vacancies. Current vacancies has mandated use of electronic time implementation of a mandatory and projected retirements indicate 19 cards for all state employees. The electronic inventory database. law enforcement vacancies in a staff internet based program requires Political influence from the deer of 132 by end of the 2015 calendar electronic punch clocks which feed breeder industry remains strong and year. work hours and leave request data several legislators have expressed into central accounting for electronic ideas of transferring oversight of the We have reclassified entry level payroll distribution. The program has industry to the Department of officer positions to create both created numerous challenges for Agriculture although no bills of that Officer Trainee and a Senior Officer field staff with mobile internet nature have been filed to date. We position. This will allow for a three connectivity issues. year stair step progression in both continue to follow similar actions in training and salary as well as an The third annual provisional other states in hopes of avoiding extended 30 month probationary commercial paddlefish harvest was such events. period during which performance can expanded this past year with a total Due to requests from the public, be better evaluated. of 15 randomly selected fishermen legal prohibitions on the use of among three zones encompassing firearm suppressors for hunting LAW ENFORCEMENT TRENDS approximately 150 miles along the purposes were removed for the 2014 The Law Enforcement Section Alabama River. A total of 4946 – 15 hunting season. Even though implemented physical fitness pounds of screened eggs were the move generated considerable evaluations as part of the annual harvested from 1191 fish. media attention, we experienced no officer appraisal. Officer’s Commercial interests from outside 1 2016 Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN problems from the change. A very high emphasis continues to The Enforcement Division of the be placed on continuing training for Arkansas Game and Fish ARKANSAS all Arkansas Wildlife Officers. Commission continues to maintain Pat Fitts, Colonel Officers are selected by their specialized teams to assist Wildlife Captains for various advanced Officers in the performance of their After reading over the past bulletin training given in and out of state. duties. The teams also provide a on what Colonel Todd Callaway, Listed below is a list of some of the unique beneficial service to other law retired, had to say, it seems as training received by selected officers: enforcement agencies and the though some of the trends continue ● Field Training Officer citizens of the State of Arkansas. to this day and some unfortunately Training – 12 Officers / 4 The enforcement teams include a have even escalated as I’m sure Instructors Full Time Statewide Dispatch Center, each of you have noticed. Here in ● School of Law Dive Team, Disaster Response Arkansas we made it through our Enforcement Supervisors / Team, K-9 Program, Chaplain first year following a United States 5 Officers Program, Scales of Justice Supreme Court ruling on a case ● Glock Armorer’s School – Enforcement Education Trailer, which affected our way of conducting 4 Officers Special Investigation Unit and Honor checks. All legal challenges have ● Remington Armorer’s Guard. been exhausted for appealing the School – 3 Officers Arkansas vs. Pickle ruling and ● Arkansas Leader Program The AGFC Dive Team currently although this was a game changer – 2 Officers consists of 7 members from across for how we conduct business, at the ● Basic K-9 In Service the state. The dive team not only end of the day the sky did not fall. Training – 6 Officers works on conservation law We have moved forward with officers ● Force Science enforcement issues; it is also focusing on reasonable suspicion, Investigators – 1 Officer available for call outs from other law probable cause and utilization of ● Racial Profiling – 151 enforcement agencies. All divers preplanned check points and special Officers must be Master Diver Certified operations. This appears for the ● Firearms Evaluations – through PAD prior to making dives time being to satisfy the courts with 151 Officers / 28 on the team. Each diver then limiting officer's unbridled discretion Instructors completes the Underwater Criminal regarding compliance checks. ● Taser Instructor Training – Investigators Course (UCI). This has Review of cases show that while 8 Instructors been very beneficial across the state overall numbers of cases has ● Exterior Response Active in locating and recovering critical suffered, quality of cases has Shooter Event Training – evidence for law enforcement improved. 16 Officers / 4 Instructors agencies, resulting in the arrest and ● National Association of conviction of suspects and all other TRAINING Conservation Law valuable training the team deems We are finalizing our contract work Enforcement Chiefs – 1 necessary. with Fit Force. This work is being Officer conducted to develop defensible ● Fit Force Coordinators – The AGFC Disaster Response Team criteria for entry level candidates for 15 Instructors consists of 28 members. This team wildlife officers. We are also ● Fit Force Training – 157 is utilized during natural disasters to developing physical fitness Officers provide immediate law enforcement standards for tenured officers. This and search and rescue assistance process will be phased in over time OTHER SPECIAL LAW within 24 hours of request. This to allow tenured officers time to ENFORCEMENT ISSUES team is equipped with two bunk improve their current level of fitness. trailers, a command staff trailer, 2 2016 Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN communications trailer, and large I have 39 events on the calendar this power unit trailer for all energy needs The AGFC Special Investigation Unit year and I am expecting the for a deployment. The team is totally consists of 21 officers. In addition to numbers to be close to the 2015 self-sufficient for 10 days. their normal enforcement duties, numbers. these officers focus on large cases The AGFC Honor Guard consists of that often extend into multiple Our Radio Dispatch center has taken 24 members statewide with duties jurisdictions. They routinely partner on an entirely new look as we moved from our radio based communication that are twofold. One being, they with other states and federal center to the new Computer Assisted always look professional and make agencies. This unit is still in its Dispatch (CAD). We have the Enforcement Division extremely infancy but has proven to be highly contracted with Zurcher Corporation proud but in almost all cases they productive in making major cases out of South Dakota to customize a are not called into action until which adversely affect the natural CAD program that will not only serve something dire has happened. This resources of the State of Arkansas. our dispatching needs, but can past year they were called upon for During the past twelve months this house a custom citation program. 11 Public Events and 7 Law unit was responsible for 274 officer This

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