HARRISBURG, Pa. (July 18) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is pleased to announce that 19 members of the 26th Class of Waterways Conservation Officers (WCO) have formally graduated from the agency's H.R. Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety.
Following a graduation ceremony held today at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, the officers will report to their assigned regions across the Commonwealth next week to begin their duties.
"I am proud to officially welcome this dedicated group of new officers to the Fish and Boat Commission and our Bureau of Law Enforcement," said Col. Jeffrey Sabo, Director of the PFBC Bureau of Law Enforcement. "With their intense training behind them, these officers are ready to serve the anglers and boaters in Pennsylvania and work to protect, conserve, and enhance our aquatic resources."
Before graduating, officers undergo an extensive 49-week training program which encompasses all aspects of standard police principles and conservation law enforcement. Following civil service testing and selection, trainees completed a 17-week Municipal Police Officers Basic Training conducted at Mansfield University, Tioga County. An additional 32 weeks of training was conducted at the PFBC’s H.R. Stackhouse school located in Bellefonte, Centre County, and included field training alongside seasoned WCOs.
During their conservation law enforcement careers, the officers' duties will be multifaceted and include patrolling the streams, rivers, and lakes in their regions; conducting environmental investigations; participating in public outreach events; and stocking waterways with fish.
The new Waterways Conservation Officers are listed below, along with their hometowns and assigned regions.
- Jenna Alleman, Elliottsburg, assigned to N. Montgomery/E. Berks counties
- Blake Anderson, Erie, assigned to W. Schuylkill County
- Robert Angst, Jr., Schwenksville, assigned to S. Carbon/SW Monroe counties
- Kamron Bettinger, Spring Grove, assigned to Lebanon/S. Dauphin County
- David Brockett, Polk, assigned to Butler County
- Andrew Callahan, Harborcreek, assigned to Forest/Clarion/Venango counties
- Krystal Daniele, Glen Lyon, N. Wayne County
- Colton Dinges, Hollidaysburg, assigned to S. Lake Wallenpaupack
- Andrew Fish, Pleasantville, E. Schuylkill County
- Wyatt Fleischer, Saegertown, assigned to SC Crawford/E. Mercer
- Dalton Hopper, Phillipsburg, assigned to Centre County
- Dustan Luzier, Williamsport, assigned to Cumberland County
- Michael Mielnicki, Coraopolis, assigned to S. Monroe/N. Carbon counties
- Derrick Noonan, Altoona, assigned to N. Dauphin/Northumberland counties
- Jacob Oliver, Cambridge Springs, assigned to N. Lake Wallenpaupack
- Nathan Ridgley, Pittston, assigned to Lackawanna/Wayne/Susquehanna counties
- Hunter Sanner, Markleton, assigned to Berks County
- Cassidy Shawley, Tyrone, assigned to N. Luzerne County
- Steven Zeigler, West Leechburg, assigned to N. Bucks County
In addition to the graduating class, several WCOs recently accepted new assignments, which include:
- Shane Casey, transferred from W. Schuylkill County to S. Luzerne/Columbia counties
- Abigail Luteri transferred from N. Montgomery/E. Berks counties to W. Armstrong County
- Logan Opfer transferred from W. Armstrong County to Greene/S. Washington counties
- Sean Rae, transferred from S. Chester County to N. Chester County
- D. Dorian Seibel transferred from Greene/S. Washington counties to Fayette County
- Erik Shellgren transferred from Forest/Clarion/Venango counties to E. Crawford/Warren counties
- Luke Walter transferred from Butler County to W. Erie County
Individual photos of the 26th Class of WCOs can be found here. (All photos courtesy PFBC)