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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 try this work alone.
“There is no method anyone 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 12 months in December in Augusta, Ga. The consideration 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 Additionally, on Dec. 5, he turned 27 years outdated.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 mentioned, explaining, “Perhaps any individual is healthier at interviewing and is aware of these folks and may relate to them higher than you possibly can. You possibly can’t put a price ticket on the type of enable you to get on a case. For me on some instances, (sport wardens) Aaron Dillard and Keith Cardin will probably be on interview and people guys may speak to a brick wall and get info. They only 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 legislation 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 responsibility by doing greater than others count on and regularly 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 relies.
“I had no clue that I used to be going to win that award, if you mix all these different 14 states, and so they’re all officers of the yr from their states with the statistics and instances made throughout the U.S. To say I used to be stunned could 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 count on, particularly that early in your profession. It was simply such an superior feeling to expertise.”
Powell, reflecting in mid-December again dwelling to successful the award, mentioned he believed the AGFC Enforcement Division’s use of shotshell forensics, DNA evaluation and drone know-how factored within the honor going his method.
“They learn quick biographies about all people and what they did, however they do not get into particular instances,” he mentioned. “The opposite instances perhaps had been extra ‘caught within the act’ arrests. Working and making instances and utilizing sources 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 essential in one other turkey case the place Powell and investigators had been capable of 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 fowl. As for the AGFC’s drone, Powell mentioned, “We have used it fairly a bit, however one actually large one was a waterfowl case” during which Powell and AGFC Enforcement documented via pictures and video unlawful crop manipulation over a number of months for duck looking.
Noting extra workforce involvement within the later case, Powell credited Lt. Phillip Livingston within the Pine Bluff workplace together with his work.
Powell can be a Okay-9 handler within the division, working instances 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. Now we have the canine, Lainey, and we’re simply in search of 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 instances with article searches together with her. Her first case was a double-homicide in McGehee the place she discovered proof.”
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