Comprised of California Fish & Game Wardens
The Association of California Wildlife Officers (ACWO) is the CSLEA Affiliate for Fish and Game Wardens, Lieutenant Specialists, and Warden Pilots employed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Law Enforcement Division.
California Wildlife Officers, commonly known as Fish and Game Wardens, are state peace officers charged with protecting California’s fish and wildlife, and the waterways and habitats they depend on. Wildlife Officers are uniformed officers, who patrol by themselves, often in desolate and remote areas of the state, sometimes without radio or cellular coverage. Wildlife Officers enforce all state laws, but focus on the California Fish and Game Code and Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. Wildlife Officers make hundreds of arrests each year, for many violations, including felony weapons violations, felony drug violations, warrants, and others.
Wildlife Officers patrol in many different ways, including by foot, horseback, boat, motorcycle, ATV, and patrol vehicles. Officers can be assigned to one of a number of large patrol boats and conduct offshore patrols for multiple days at a time. Wildlife Officers often work undercover to catch violators. Officers are assigned to different specialty units, including the Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), the Special Operations Unit (SOU), and the Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET).
The first fish and game laws were enacted by the legislature in California in 1851, and there have been people breaking them ever since. In 1871, the Board of Fish Commissioners appointed two Deputies, the predecessor to game wardens, to report on the condition of fisheries across the San Francisco Bay, it’s tributaries, and Lake Tahoe. In 1883, the Board created a Bureau of Patrol and Law Enforcement. Today’s Wildlife Officers carry on the legacy as the first state law enforcement agency, and are proud of their history and work protecting California’s precious natural resources and ensuring public safety.
