Division Conservation Officer Receives Award

March 17, 2016

NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officer Paul Toppin has been named the Shikar Safari Club International Conservation's Wildlife Officer of the Year for 2015. The award is given in recognition of outstanding work performed by officers in all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces, and the territories of both nations. Conservation Officer Toppin started his career in 2007. He graduated the Gloucester County Police Academy with recognition as "Class Leader" and has since volunteered nearly 1000 hours there. Those hours include training police officer candidates in: off duty safety, protocol training, and physical fitness training. He has been one of the lead instructors at the academy for physical fitness training for the past seven years and is well respected by his peers at the academy. CO Toppin is a fine example of a well-rounded Conservation Officer, handling all aspects of the job seriously and professionally. In his patrol area in the Southern Region he has inspected close to eleven hundred resource users and has become an integral part of the training staff. In addition, he routinely gives talks to various groups about the Division's work and goals. Conservation Officer Toppin continues to be a fine asset to the field of conservation law enforcement, and the Division of Fish and Wildlife takes pride in this recognition of his work.

CO Paul Toppin Click to enlarge