New WDFW Enforcement Chief.....Steve Bear

[bigtex]

Steve Bear will be commissioned as the next WDFW Enforcement Chief by Director Unsworth on September 8th.

Bear served approximately 27 years with the Alaska State Troopers (AST) and left as the Director of the Fish and Wildlife division of the AST. Only Oregon and Alaska have their game wardens apart of their state patrol/police.

The next Chief coming from a state patrol based agency has already caused some WDFW Officers to worry. Many WDFW Officers say the reason they were told to do more and more non-fish/wildlife work is because former Chief Bruce Bjork came to WDFW as an Assistant Chief from the WA State Patrol. There have been several times in recent years where legislators and then Governor Gregoire wanted to move WDFW Enforcement to the WA State Patrol, this move was opposed by hunting/fishing groups, WDFW, and law enforcement groups.

Those close with Oregon and Alaska game wardens will typically tell you their agency places a higher role on non-wildlife enforcement issues then you may see in other states. This is simple, they are game wardens who work for primarily a traffic enforcement agency.

Only time will tell how this hire works out...

[DOUBLELUNG]

I hope it's a good change.

[pianoman9701]

 

[bigtex]

One of Bear's first moves was to promote WDFW's three Lieutenants and made them into Captains (higher rank = higher pay). There are no longer any Lieutenants in WDFW. Historically, WDFW Captains were the regional supervisors, and Lieutenants oversaw a program in HQ such as dispatch, fleet management, etc.

WDFW now has 1 Sergeant, 10 Captains, 2 Deputy Chiefs, and 1 Chief in Administration. Go back to around 2006 and that number would be more like 1 Chief, 1 Deputy Chief, 6 Captains, and 4 Lieutenants.

[Gopher]

The biggest problem is that the new Chief is surrounded in that office by the good old boy club that have been running things for a long time.  Ever since Bjork, there has been no Chief who has been able to do things his way without having those influences play a huge roll in policy and the way things are run.  I'm not so sure the new Chief thought up the promotion thing on his own but was heavily influenced by the likes of Cenci, Hobbs and the rest of the club.

[BNAElkhntr]

One of Bear's first moves was to promote WDFW's three Lieutenants and made them into Captains (higher rank = higher pay). There are no longer any Lieutenants in WDFW. Historically, WDFW Captains were the regional supervisors, and Lieutenants oversaw a program in HQ such as dispatch, fleet management, etc.

WDFW now has 1 Sergeant, 10 Captains, 2 Deputy Chiefs, and 1 Chief in Administration. Go back to around 2006 and that number would be more like 1 Chief, 1 Deputy Chief, 6 Captains, and 4 Lieutenants.

   


Don't get me Wrong Tex  and no disrespect but are you sure on the Sergeant Total  Numbers?

[Man Tracker]

I think he is correct that there is 1 Sgt. in Admin at Oly.  All the others are Capt and above, unless they are clerical staff.

[BNAElkhntr]

I think he is correct that there is 1 Sgt. in Admin at Oly.  All the others are Capt and above, unless they are clerical staff.

Sorry I missed the Point about it being Admin in Oly,  I couldn't believe state wide there was only 1 Sergeant
My Apologies