INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Law Enforcement held a graduation ceremony at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis.

23 new Indiana Conservation Officers were recognized and officially enrolled into the division.

The new officers represent the 41st recruit class of conservation officers.

The officers and their assignment locations are listed below:

• Kirk Bascu (Boone)
• Gregory Bolt (Noble)
• Gustavo Canas (Marion)
• Caleb Coe (Huntington)
• Joshua Doane (Orange)
• Lance Gaerte (Washington)
• Logan Harris (Parke)
• Howard Hobson (Wayne)
• Anthony Howard (Starke)
• Derick Huffman (Monroe)
• Anthony Hummel (Shelby)
• Brendan Lane (Elkhart)
• Thomas Lovell (Marion)
• Hunter McCormick (Vanderburgh)
• Garrett Mobley (Porter)
• Blaine Patterson (Clay)
• Madalyn Pedigo (Washington)
• Olivia Seifert (DeKalb)
• Cayden Sotelo (Franklin)
• Kaden Tepe (Decatur)
• Mackenzie Umbaugh (St. Joseph)
• Fowler Walters IV (Vanderburgh)
• Zachary Weir (Fountain)

The new officers completed six weeks of recruit training and will continue to attend the next 15-week basic law enforcement academy. 

The responsibilities listed for these new recruited officers consist of these duties: "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."