(Indianapolis, IN) – Twenty-three new Conservation Officers joined the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Law Enforcement following graduation ceremonies last week at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis.
Two of the new conservation officers have been assigned to Southeastern Indiana.
They are Cayden Sotelo, who will patrol Franklin County, and Kaden Tepe, who will be on duty in Decatur County.
The 23 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.
