AGFC recreation warden wins regional honor: Powell named 2024 Robert M. Brantly Regulation Enforcement Officer of the 12 months – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

As we speak at 4:00 a.m.
by Arkansas Recreation and Fish Fee
MONTICELLO — Recreation Warden Austin Powell retains racking up main honors for his enforcement work for the Arkansas Recreation and Fish Fee, however he is aware of he does not do this work alone.
“There isn’t any manner anyone particular person might win any award like this by himself,” Powell stated of being named the Southeastern Affiliation of Fish and Wildlife Businesses 2024 Robert M. Brantly Regulation Enforcement Officer of the 12 months in December in Augusta, Ga. The honour adopted up successful the AGFC’s Monty Carmikle Officer of the 12 months Award in late July. Additionally, on Dec. 5, he turned 27 years outdated.
“There are such a lot of different those that assist with each case,” Powell stated, explaining, “Possibly any person is healthier at interviewing and is aware of these individuals and might relate to them higher than you may. You’ll be able to’t put a price ticket on the form of enable you to get on a case. For me on some circumstances, (recreation wardens) Aaron Dillard and Keith Cardin will likely be on interview and people guys might discuss to a brick wall and get data. They simply have the present of gab.”
Powell is the fourth AGFC recreation 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 teach and inform; demonstrates the willingness to transcend the decision of obligation by doing greater than others anticipate and regularly seeks to enhance effectivity on the job; and portrays a contagious, constructive 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 relies.
“I had no clue that I used to be going to win that award, whenever you mix all these different 14 states, and so they’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 stated
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 house to successful the award, stated he believed the AGFC Enforcement Division’s use of shotshell forensics, DNA evaluation and drone know-how factored within the honor going his manner.
“They learn quick biographies about all people and what they did, however they do not get into particular circumstances,” he stated. “The opposite circumstances possibly have been extra ‘caught within the act’ arrests. Working and making circumstances and utilizing assets could 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 vital 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 chicken. As for the AGFC’s drone, Powell stated, “We have used it fairly a bit, however one actually huge one was a waterfowl case” by which Powell and AGFC Enforcement documented by means of images and video unlawful crop manipulation over a number of months for duck looking.
Noting extra group involvement within the later case, Powell credited Lt. Phillip Livingston within the Pine Bluff workplace along with his work.
Powell can be a Ok-9 handler within the division, working circumstances with yellow Labrador Annie since final January. “She’s the latest canine within the company, although we simply marketed for a brand new (Ok-9 handler) place. We now have the canine, Lainey, and we’re simply searching for her handler.”
With Annie, Powell says they’ve already tracked felons and used her expertise 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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