DNR announces regional officers of the year

January 25, 2022 John Clark

Conservation Officer Robert Klakamp. Photo courtesy of Indiana DNR.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources law enforcement division is announcing that Conservation Officer Robert Klakamp has been selected as the District 8 Officer of the Year.

Klakamp is assigned to Jackson County and has been a conservation officer since 2016. He is a field officer, serves as an airboat operator, field training officer, and venomous reptile handler.

District 8 includes counties in south-central Indiana including Jackson County.

Earlier this month, the division announced that Conservation Officer Chris Long has been selected the District 9 Officer of the Year. In addition to his normal duties as a field officer, he also serves as a side-scan sonar operator.

Conservation Officer Christopher Long. Photo courtesy of Indiana DNR.

District 9 includes Decatur and Jennings counties, among others in southeastern Indiana.

The district awards puts Long and Klakamp in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is given to the top overall conservation officer in the state. The Pitzer award is named after Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity on Jan. 2, 1961, in Jay County.