Chester County's waterways will have a new law enforcement presence starting this week.

Owen Trimbull of Bear Lake, in Warren County, graduated Saturday from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's 49-week training program and has been assigned to patrol southern Chester County. He was one of eight new Waterways Conservation Officers who received their badges during a ceremony at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, the commission announced.

The PFBC has not publicly defined the exact boundaries of Trimbull's patrol district.

What a conservation officer does

Waterways Conservation Officers are full police officers under Pennsylvania law. Their duties include enforcing fishing and boating regulations, patrolling rivers, lakes and streams, conducting environmental investigations, checking fishing licenses, apprehending boaters under the influence, investigating illegal dumping and assisting with fish stocking operations.

WCOs typically patrol large territories alone, according to a 2024 Philadelphia Inquirer report on the commission's staffing. That report noted roughly 30,000 of Pennsylvania's 300,000 registered boaters are concentrated in the southeastern region, which includes Chester County.

Training

The program Trimbull completed consisted of two phases: 17 weeks of Municipal Police Officers Basic Training at Mansfield University in Tioga County, where he earned Act 120 certification, followed by 32 weeks at the PFBC's H.R. Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety in Bellefonte. The curriculum also included field training alongside experienced officers.

Col. Jeffrey Sabo, director of the commission's Bureau of Law Enforcement, said the graduates were prepared to begin serving Pennsylvania's anglers, boaters and aquatic resources.

Southern Chester County waterways include portions of the Brandywine Creek and the 94-acre Chambers Lake near Coatesville, both popular fishing destinations managed in partnership with the PFBC, according to county records.

In addition to the eight new graduates, the commission reassigned six veteran officers to new patrol areas across the state.

How to report violations: Residents can contact the PFBC's Bureau of Law Enforcement through the agency's website at pa.gov/agencies/fishandboat.