An environmental conservation police officer (ECO) from Herkimer County has been honored with the Wildlife Officer of the Year award from the Shikar-Safari Club International.
ECO Darryl Lucas has been a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officer since 1992, and is currently serving in Region 6, which includes Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and St. Lawrence counties.
Each year, the Shikar-Safari International Club chooses one officer in each state to receive the officer of the year honor, recognizing outstanding work in the area of wildlife law enforcement.
DEC congratulates ECO Darryl Lucas, who was recently honored with the Wildlife Officer of the Year Award from @SafariClubIntl. Read more about this prestigious award & ECO Lucas' accomplishments throughout his 28-year career: https://t.co/CmjMFKJF9F. pic.twitter.com/LTRxsszo2Y
— NYSDEC (@NYSDEC) January 20, 2021
New York State DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos congratulated Lucas on his accomplishment.
“On behalf of DEC, I congratulate ECO Lucas for receiving this prestigious award,” said Seggos. “ECO Lucas exemplifies the tireless efforts DEC’s law enforcement officers exhibit each day to enforce New York’s environmental laws and ensure New York’s environment and natural resources are protected for generations to come.”
Lucas is also a founding member of DLE’s Special Operations Group, a team trained to respond and assist law enforcement in off road environments, including fugitive searches. He is also a Police Defense Tactics and Firearms instructor.
