The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) announced that the agency’s Game Warden of the Year for 2002 is Timothy J. Worrell, of Gloucester, Virginia. A peer review committee comprised of past recipients of the award selects the Game Warden of the Year, the highest honor presented by the agency to a Virginia Game Warden.
Timothy Worrell joined the VDGIF in 1998. Prior to that, he worked as a deputy sheriff with the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office where he served as a road deputy for three years and as an undercover narcotics officer for four years. Since joining the Department he has amassed an impressive list of qualifications and accomplishments. He was the recipient of the 2000 Commonwealth Valor Award presented by The Virginia Public Safety Foundation. More recently he was tapped to serve as a member of the Special Law Assistance Patrol (SLAP Team) formed in November 2001. Since its formation, the SLAP Team has participated in numerous operations. One joint operation with other state and federal officers on the Eastern Shore focused on individuals in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Worrell was commended for his part in the successful outcome of that investigation. Said VDGIF Director William L. Woodfin, Jr., “Tim Worrell’s role in that operation exemplified professionalism, reliability, and initiative.”
During his assignment to Gloucester County, Officer Worrell set up many contacts in the community. His networking paid off when he was able to make a large, federal case of illegal baiting and killing of Canada geese. This was one of the first federal baiting cases in the country to be prosecuted and convicted under the new liberal liability baiting statute. He was also active in education, working cooperatively with the Community Education Coordinators and helped to develop a one-hour program to meet the Standards of Learning requirements for wildlife education in all Gloucester County elementary schools. In 2001, he taught 249 fourth-graders about wildlife, food chains, natural disasters, erosion and other topics, as well as about the role of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in protecting natural resources.
Game Warden Worrell’s training background includes Crater Criminal Justice Academy; Game Warden Basic School; Field Training Officer Qualifications; VASAP Training in Driving Under the Influence Detection; Ritualistic Crime Scene Investigation; Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Tactical Schools; and many more courses. He is a certified to teach Boating Safety; Personal Watercraft Safety; and Advanced Shotgun Instruction, and is a certified thermographer, qualified to use the thermal imaging camera and to testify in court about it’s usage. Timothy Worrell’s outstanding service to the Department, to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to his community have earned him the distinction of being called the Game Warden of the Year 2002.