Lincolnshire Police officer wins the Wildlife Enforcer of the Year award

A Lincolnshire Police officer has been awarded the title Wildlife Enforcer of the Year

DC Aaron Flint has been investigating wildlife crime for over 20-years . He has shown determination and tenacity in targeting offences within Lincolnshire covering a broad spectrum of wildlife offences.

Aaron was announced the winner of the award on Thursday 5 December, at the National Wildlife Crime Conference which is hosted by the National Wildlife Crime Unit and sponsored by partners of the unit. 

Aaron is the Force’s dedicated Wildlife Crime Officer and works within the Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT). He completes detailed investigations into wildlife crime and advises the force on all wildlife related  matters. 

Chief Constable Paul Gibson said:  “I am incredibly proud of DC Flint and pass on both my own personal congratulations and those of his colleagues in the force for winning the Wildlife Enforcer of the Year award.

“Aaron is an incredible officer dedicated to the conservation and preservation of wildlife.

“Wildlife crime takes place across all of our beautiful county; rural crime affects our farming and rural communities and Aaron through his dedication and passion is a great ambassador for both promoting the extensive work to keep people safe but also in his endeavours to investigate some of the more complex area of wildlife crime.

“We are all incredibly proud of him.”

Aaron has a degree in Zoology from the University of Wales, he is trained in all aspects of rural crime, including the more well-known offences of hare coursing, badger crime, fox hunting and deer poaching, but also in the specialised areas of the illegal trade of wildlife, endangered species of wild fauna, flora and wetlands, protection of world cultural and national heritage and conservation of migratory wild animals.   

Aaron  is passionate about wildlife crime and over the past year he has shown determination and tenacity in targeting offenders within Lincolnshire. The extensive and detailed investigations he has completed have led to the successful prosecution of deer poachers, hare coursers and for fox hunting. Prosecutions for the illegal breeding of falcons and the trapping and poisoning of birds of prey are currently going through the courts.

These offences require complex and detailed work, often with short time limits set by the legislation. Investigations often involve working with experts outside of policing and include complicated forensic work, postmortems on animals and a thorough knowledge of the legislation and evidence required to prove offences.

DC Flint’s knowledge on wildlife crime is second to none. Alongside his work on the RCAT he is Co-Chair of the Hunting with Hounds Priority Delivery Group and Chair of the Badger Priority Delivery Group. The priority delivery groups are part of the Rural Affairs Strategy developed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and delivered by the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Aaron has been instrumental in the implementation of advanced practitioner badger training sessions, expert witness training and badger crime week along with the associated Operation Badger video.

Aaron’s passion for wildlife crime is infectious and his willingness to pass on his knowledge to other officers and members of the public is constant, whether by giving inputs to students or through media releases via radio, television or direct to the public at various county and village shows.

As part of his role Aaron has recruited a team of part-time  Crime Officers in Lincolnshire, these have been trained and now work all over the county, providing knowledge and expert advice to their colleagues on shift, helping to spread knowledge around wildlife offences.

Aaron is flexible in his approach to work, regularly dialling into meetings or providing advice when on rest days and always happy to do media work in response to results from court cases or any areas that support the protection of our wildlife or rural communities.

Aaron’s knowledge, personality and calm, professional attitude make him a pleasure to work with, he is a credit to both the force and to the wider wildlife crime enforcement community.

Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: “This was a special moment to recognise Aaron as the number one enforcer in the UK. Aaron’s enthusiasm is infections, his commitment and dedication to tackling wildlife crime should rightly receive the national spotlight.

“Policing wildlife crime is specialist and often polarised, Aaron never faulters and influences locally, regionally and nationally. Many wildlife crimes are committed by dangerous offenders or members of serious and organised crime groups. Aaron takes his passion for protecting the natural world, and shows where it fits into the national policing picture, keeping communities safe and protecting the vulnerable.”

Image below – ©Guy Shorrock