TWRA Names Boating Officers of the Year

NASHVILLE --- Jeff Roberson has been named the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Boating Officer of the Year while Allen Herald has received the honor of being named the agency’s first Part-Time Boating Officer of the Year.

 

The winners of the two awards were announced by Darren Rider, TWRA Boating Division Chief. The officers were presented their awards at the April meeting of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission.

 

Roberson is a boating officer in TWRA’s District 12 in West Tennessee and was selected among other TWRA Law Enforcement officers to become the state recipient. Herald is a part-time boating officer in TWRA’s District 21 in Middle Tennessee and was selected among other TWRA part-time boating officers to become the state recipient.

           

Honored as TWRA district selections were Andy Tweed (District 11), Matt Brian (District 21), Tim Hancock (District 22), Tony Cross (District 31) and Jeff Prater (District 42). These officers were selected for their efforts in law enforcement, education; outreach, accident investigation and training.

 

Also honored as TWRA Part-Time Boating Officer district selections were Terry Moore (District 11), Richard Regal (District 12), Danny Ferrell (District 22), and Tommy Alexander (District 31).

 

“It’s always a difficult situation when one officer is selected out of a group of officers that have all gone above and beyond the duty of ensuring Tennessee waters are safe and enjoyable for our Tennessee’s recreational boaters” said Rider “All these officers are to be commended for their professionalism and efforts they displayed this year. All these officers had a fantastic year, but Jeff really excelled in all aspects of his job.”

 

Roberson’s assigned area of District 12 encompasses 12 counties which are bisected by the Tennessee River.

 

Roberson’s law enforcement efforts were outstanding, said Rider. He inspected 425 vessels for compliance with Tennessee boating laws resulting 53 citations and 24 warnings. Roberson also arrested six operators for Boating Under the Influence (BUI) of alcohol or drugs and while on patrol he assisted six boaters who were stranded because of mechanical failure. He issued citations for other violations including 96 for sport fishing, two for commercial fishing, and nine for hunting violations.

 

In the category of boating safety education, Roberson graded boating education exams for Tennessee’s mandatory education program, and taught seven boating safety courses. In the area of public outreach, Roberson partnered with the Boy Scouts of America, received the Hardin County 4-H Partnership of the Year award, delivered public programs and set up public displays.

 

 Herald is a part of the agency part-time boating officer program. Rider said “Officers in the agency’s part-time boating officer program play a vital role in the success of the agency’s mission in recreational boating safety. They provide the extra needed manpower during peak hours of the boating season.”

 

He checked 500 boats for compliance and issued 40 citations for safety violations and arrested six individuals for BUI. He also assisted 30 boaters with various mechanical problems.

 

Herald’s education efforts included teaching seven boating safety classes. He assists with our agency’s new officer training and is also involved in the training of various enforcement agencies that TWRA issues boating commissions. He is also a part of the planning committee that plans the 4th of July celebration in Nashville.       

 

---TWRA---