AFGE Law Enforcement Committee Announces Officer of the Year

The American Federation of Government Employees Federal Law Enforcement Committee announced today that Officer Douglas Deese has been selected as AFGE’s Officer of the Year.

As a member of Local 1101, Officer Deese served as Conservation Officer with the Department of the Army on Fort Richardson for three years, and currently is a Lead Police Officer with Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Anchorage, AK. Deese’s area of responsibility on JBER encompasses approximately 100,000 acres, 13 miles of mountain range, 17.5 miles of shoreline, 12 miles of railroad, 10 lakes and two rivers. Deese’s wildlife responsibilities included monitoring, tracking, protecting, and responding to big game animals such as moose, bear, wolves and wolverines; and monitoring and protecting endangered species.

“Douglas Deese is an integral part of JBER security,” said Lance Parcell, Local 1101 steward and member of the AFGE Law Enforcement Committee. “He’s handled a multitude of responsibilities; he’s deftly coordinated between JBER agencies and local organizations, resulting in increased efficiency of base perimeters and traffic patterns; and uncovered and corrected dozens of potential security breaches near entry points on JBER, including vehicle and foot trails leading off the installation.

While serving as Conservation Officer for the Army, Deese played a major role in the 300% increase in Conservation Enforcement activities with more than 2100 law enforcement contacts, 295 citations and debarments for Conservation violations, more than 200 wildlife nuisance calls, 310 response hours, and covered more than 28,000 land miles using patrol vehicles, ATVs, snowmachines and foot patrols. Deese participated in five search and rescue efforts, was a critical first responder for a C-17 crash on JBER in July 2010, and was pivotal in providing physical security to the crash site.

“Through his actions, contributions, and aggressive work tactics, Officer Deese has proven his selfless dedication to the safety of JBER and its wildlife inhabitants. His tireless dedication to duty, selfless service and diligence has added to the quality of life of the residents of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and has inspired fellow officers and employees. The AFGE Law Enforcement Committee is proud to present Douglas Deese as Officer of the Year,” concluded Parcell.

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The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 625,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.