AGFC sport warden wins regional honor: Powell named 2024 Robert M. Brantly Regulation Enforcement Officer of the Yr – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

At this time at 4:00 a.m.
by Arkansas Sport and Fish Fee
MONTICELLO — Sport Warden Austin Powell retains racking up main honors for his enforcement work for the Arkansas Sport and Fish Fee, however he is aware of he would not do this work alone.
“There isn’t any approach anybody particular person may win any award like this by himself,” Powell mentioned of being named the Southeastern Affiliation of Fish and Wildlife Companies 2024 Robert M. Brantly Regulation Enforcement Officer of the Yr in December in Augusta, Ga. The honour adopted up profitable the AGFC’s Monty Carmikle Officer of the Yr Award in late July. Additionally, on Dec. 5, he turned 27 years outdated.
“There are such a lot of different those who assist with each case,” Powell mentioned, explaining, “Possibly someone is healthier at interviewing and is aware of these folks and might relate to them higher than you possibly can. You may’t put a price ticket on the form of provide help to get on a case. For me on some circumstances, (sport wardens) Aaron Dillard and Keith Cardin will likely be on interview and people guys may discuss to a brick wall and get info. They simply have the present of gab.”
Powell is the fourth AGFC sport warden to win the SEAFWA honor, following Pat Fitts in 2003, Michael Neal in 2010 and Cpl. S.M. “Mac” Davis in 2020. The SEAFWA award honors a regulation enforcement officer among the many 15 states within the group who’s engaged with the general public and inside his or her company and seeks alternatives to coach and inform; demonstrates the willingness to transcend the decision of responsibility by doing greater than others anticipate and frequently seeks to enhance effectivity on the job; and portrays a contagious, optimistic perspective, and demonstrates requirements of excellence and professionalism.
Powell, because the Carmikle winner representing Arkansas on the annual convention (which had been postponed from earlier within the fall by consecutive hurricanes within the Southeast U.S.) was joined by Main Steve Paul, an assistant chief within the AGFC Enforcement Division, and Lt. John Paul Greer from the Monticello workplace, the place Powell is predicated.
“I had no clue that I used to be going to win that award, while you mix all these different 14 states, they usually’re all officers of the 12 months from their states with the statistics and circumstances made throughout the U.S. To say I used to be shocked can be an understatement,” Powell mentioned
A fellow wildlife officer from Louisiana sitting subsequent to Paul because the award winner was being introduced started congratulating him whereas the second washed over the shocked Powell. “It’s only a actually particular feeling,” he recalled, “one thing you do not anticipate, particularly that early in your profession. It was simply such an superior feeling to expertise.”
Powell, reflecting in mid-December again dwelling to profitable the award, mentioned he believed the AGFC Enforcement Division’s use of shotshell forensics, DNA evaluation and drone expertise factored within the honor going his approach.
“They learn brief biographies about everyone and what they did, however they do not get into particular circumstances,” he mentioned. “The opposite circumstances perhaps have been extra ‘caught within the act’ arrests. Working and making circumstances and utilizing sources might have set it aside.”
For Powell, shotshell forensics helped make an interstate case involving Mississippi poachers harvesting turkeys out of season on a Mississippi River island inside Arkansas; DNA evaluation was essential in one other turkey case the place Powell and investigators have been in a position to take blood off a knife and examine it to the carcass of a turkey, getting a match to show the suspect had illegally taken the hen. As for the AGFC’s drone, Powell mentioned, “We have used it fairly a bit, however one actually large one was a waterfowl case” wherein Powell and AGFC Enforcement documented by means of images and video unlawful crop manipulation over a number of months for duck searching.
Noting extra workforce involvement within the later case, Powell credited Lt. Phillip Livingston within the Pine Bluff workplace along with his work.
Powell can also be a Okay-9 handler within the division, working circumstances with yellow Labrador Annie since final January. “She’s the most recent canine within the company, although we simply marketed for a brand new (Okay-9 handler) place. We now have the canine, Lainey, and we’re simply on the lookout for her handler.”
With Annie, Powell says they’ve already tracked felons and used her abilities for backtracking on WMAs to search out bait. “I helped the Arkansas State Police a number of occasions with article searches along with her. Her first case was a double-homicide in McGehee the place she discovered proof.”
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