MAYFLOWER Thanks to a generous $250,000 donation from Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s H.C. “Red” Morris Enforcement Training Center will see an upgrade to improve facilities for cadets and other staff undergoing training on their way to become Arkansas game wardens.
The facility, which houses game warden cadets during their 18-week training, needed repairs and updates. The land was initially donated to the AGFC in 1984 by the Department of Defense. A kitchen and dining hall were added to the facility in 2002, and the center was expanded in 2007 to replace the initial military barracks with dormitory housing.
A portion of the donation will be used to upgrade and expand the cooking and dining facilities at the center, which have remained unchanged since their addition in 2002.
“Even with the update to the housing and training unit, we often find ourselves packed into the facility,” Maj. Brian Aston, said. “When you count all the cadets, instructors and support staff, we will have anywhere from 50 to 100 individuals here during training days. We have 181 sworn officers and a total staff of 205 statewide, and the center is used for other training events than cadet school as well. This upgrade will help us use the facility to its potential.”
In addition to the facility expansion, the AGFC will enroll all current game warden lieutenants in the FBI Supervisor Leadership Institute this fall.
“The leadership training program will ensure our best and brightest continue to share their expertise to fellow wardens, increasing our effectiveness and benefit the people of Arkansas for generations to come,” AGFC Director Doug Schoenrock said.
AGFF President Deke Whitbeck said the Foundation’s Get It for Game Wardens Program was initiated in 2021 to identify and provide specialized equipment and tools to ensure AGFC game wardens can carry out their duties safely and effectively.
“This donation falls right in line with the Get It for Game Wardens initiative,” Whitbeck said. “The initiative was initially a regional focus, but this donation will enable us to affect the entire Enforcement Division and make the best use of the money for the entire agency.
Commission Chairman J.D. Neeley joined Whitbeck in explaining the history of the program, beginning with a partnership between Commissioner Bill Jones and the Split River Hunting Club in Desha County and their local game warden, Chuck Willis, to procure thermal-imaging equipment to catch night-hunters who were poaching on the property.
“This announcement will kick off our newest initiative, our Game Warden Backer Program, which expands greatly on Get It for Game Wardens.”
The funding for the donation came from discretionary settlement funds. Many settlement funds are restricted to certain initiatives decided by court agreements, but some settlements are unrestricted by settlement details. The Attorney General’s Office can use these funds at the AG’s discretion to improve law enforcement training and facilities throughout the state to better serve Arkansans and prevent future crime in the state.
“The emphasis on professionalism is important,” Griffin said. “If we’re going to have law enforcement, and we are, we shouldn’t have different qualities of law enforcement throughout the state. …Some agencies receive more training than others, but we need to narrow that gap so that the public feels the same about all of them. That means we have to exhibit to the public that same level of excellence across the board. That’s why we’re trying to plus-up with some of these settlement funds.”
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