(Indianapolis, IN) – Twenty-three new Indiana Conservation Officers officially joined the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Law Enforcement Division during graduation ceremonies on Friday at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis.
Conservation Officer Tyler Brock, the 2025 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.
One of the new Conservation Officers is Evan Halstenberg, who will patrol Dearborn and Ohio counties.
Halstenberg and the other 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 finish 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.
