News Release

WARSAW — Indiana Conservation Officer Jacob Bolt, who serves Kosciusko County, has been selected as the 2024 District 1 Officer of the Year.

Bolt has served as a conservation officer for three years. He served in Starke County before transferring to Kosciusko County, where he has served since 2024.

In addition to his normal duties as a field officer, Bolt serves as scuba diver, unmanned aerial vehicle operator, background investigator, and field training officer for the Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement.

District 1 includes Elkhart, St. Joseph, Marshall, Kosciusko, Fulton, Miami and Wabash counties.

The district award puts Bolt in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is presented to the top overall conservation officer in the state and is selected from the 10 district winners.

The Pitzer Award is named after Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity on Jan. 2, 1961, in Jay County.