Conservation officer celebrates 40 years of service

Monday, August 21, 2023 at 8:12 AM

conservation-officer-celebrates-40-years-of-service

1st Sgt. Paul Bykowski recently reached the 40-year milestone as an Indiana Conservation Officer with the DNR Division of Law Enforcement.

Bykowski, who is originally from the South Bend area and a graduate of Hanover College, is currently serving in the technical services and administration section, which involves overseeing the division’s records and report management system, equipment and software installation, and public record requests.

In 2000, Bykowski was promoted from field officer to first sergeant in District 6, overseeing officers in Bartholomew, Brown, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Monroe, Morgan, Marion, and Shelby counties. He was later named the District 6 administrative sergeant before being assigned to serve at the department’s headquarters in Indianapolis in 2019.

His DNR career started in 1983, when he was assigned to Marion County. He later held assignments in Johnson and Monroe counties. During his time as an officer, Bykowski served as a boat crash investigator, side scan sonar operator, breath test operator, defensive tactics instructor, public safety diver, background investigator, bike patrol, division spokesperson, honor guard member, peer support coordinator, and field training officer.

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