Erin Czech, a resident of Cheltenham Township, was featured by the Philadelphia Inquirer in an article titled “Low pay and poor morale are driving out these Pa. conservation officers“.
Czech, one of Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s waterways conservation officers (WCOs), patrols the Delaware River and Schuylkill, as well as parts of Montgomery County and Southern Bucks County by foot and boat. In that territory, she apprehends drunken boat drivers, verifies fishing licenses, investigates illegal dumping, assists in stocking millions of trout, serves warrants, and “uncovers the occasional meth lab”, according to the article.
The sometimes-dangerous nature of the job is coupled with WCOs comparatively low pay. The position starts at $48,196 and maxes out at $76,592 after 22 years, which has resulted in an officer shortage.
“The expectations have evolved with the job, and it’s not what it used to be,” Czech told the Inquirer. “You might arrive at a boat access area at night by yourself, have to pat someone down, and they’ve got needles on them, or you end up in an altercation. It makes you think, ‘Do I really want to be doing this?’”
In 2022, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Bureau of Law Enforcement named her Officer of the Year and a Gerald L. Greiner Environmental Protection Award recipient for her performance.
From the announcement:
Czech’s exemplary law enforcement efforts included a combination of 83 citations and field acknowledgements, three boating accident investigations, 13 environmental incident investigations, and one Boating Under the Influence (BUI) arrest. Czech is credited with conducting a successful Striped Bass enforcement detail that spanned across southern Philadelphia and Delaware counties. In 2022, WCO Czech served as the primary point of contact for the nationally coordinated Operation Dry Water enhanced BUI enforcement efforts in Delaware, Philadelphia, and Bucks Counties.
Czech partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, City of Philadelphia, and county Conservation Districts, to investigate 13 environmental incidents related to the disturbance of waterways. These incidents included watermain breaks and resulting sediment pollution, fuel releases, and other construction-related incidents. WCO Czech is credited with leading effective education efforts within her district to inform private property owners, businesses, and municipalities about environmental concerns and encouraging proactive measures to avoid harm to aquatic resources.
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.
Photo: PFBC