The Pennsylvania Game Commission is ending its Deputy Game Warden Program within law enforcement.
The program is scheduled to end officially on Sept. 1.
Agency officials said the change reflects a focus on maintaining an efficient full-time professional workforce to serve as guardians of state wildlife resources. The commission expressed gratitude to the volunteers who provided services to the agency and the state.
Full-time game wardens operate as full-time law enforcement officers. They hold broad law enforcement authority, with power to enforce Title 18 Crimes Code violations and any other violation of Pennsylvania statute classified as a misdemeanor or above.
In contrast, deputy game wardens served as a volunteer workforce recruited locally on an as-needed basis. Their legal authority was limited strictly to enforcing the Title 34 Game and Wildlife Code.
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