VASSALBORO — The Maine Criminal Justice Academy graduated five new Maine game wardens on Dec. 16, according to a news release from the Maine Warden Service.
A total of 61 new police officers, which included the five game wardens, graduated from the 18-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. Among the many topics the officers studied were crime scene processing, emergency vehicle operation, firearms proficiency, traffic and criminal law, domestic violence and sexual assault.
The five wardens will now enter their next phase of training. A 12-week Advanced Game Warden Academy, also based out of the Vassalboro academy, will begin in late January where skills more specific to game warden work will be taught. They will also participate in a Warden Training Officer program involving field work, team building and problem solving.
Graduating for the Maine Warden Service are Game Wardens Camden Akins, 23, of Winslow, Kayle Hamilton, 26, of Buxton, Megan Miller, 22, of Pittsfield, Lauren Roddy, 21, of Belgrade, and Taylor Valente, 24, of New Gloucester. Because of limited BLETP class sizes, Game Warden Kyle Franklin, 24, of Durham, will enter the academy in August 2017.
The wardens have been assigned their patrol areas. Akins has been assigned to the Chamberlain Lake district, Hamilton is headed for the Clayton Lake district, Miller will go to the Mars Hill district, Roddy will cover the Jackman district, Valente has been assigned the Rockwood district, and Franklin will go to Escort Station after completing the BLETP next year.
The class commencement address was given by Maine Attorney General Janet Mills.
According to the new release, Maine’s Chief Game Warden, Col. Joel Wilkinson, said, “We are very proud of our five game wardens and their successful completion of the 18-week BLETP. Their actions and performance through the training process demonstrate the success of our rigorous screening and hiring process of hiring the very best. The Maine Warden Service congratulates all those who graduated today and their families and wish them all a safe and fulfilling career in law enforcement.”
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