Shane Duffield named NASBLA Officer of the Year
By Shirley Shuman
Sergeant Shane Duffield received the DNR’s annual National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ 2024 Officer of the Year award. The award, according to Captain William Goodson of the DNR, is based on the officer’s boating law enforcement activity. The selection, Captain Goodson explained, follows a recommendation by the officer’s captain along with evidence to support the recommendation. The DNR Law Enforcement Awards Committee makes the selection.
At the time of his selection, Duffield, then a corporal, was located in Nicholas County, and his duties included patrolling the Summersville Lake along with other waterways such as Sutton Lake, Burnsville Lake, and many rivers and streams. . Evidence shows that he was quite efficient in that role. One example given in the letter of recommendation involved an unexpected thunderstorm with high winds. A houseboat leaving the Battle Run No Wake Zone was overturned when wind gusts estimated at 40 miles per hour came across the lake. On boating patrol, Officer Duffield along with Officer Quinn responded to the accident and rescued several adults and a small child from the water. The officers also saw that the boat, a total loss, was towed to shore.
One BUI arrest made by Duffield occurred after he had positioned his patrol boat off from an island near the Battle Run no-wake zone just after sunset. Shortly, he noticed a vessel coming from the main part of the lake and heading toward the no wake zone. He also noticed that it did not have lights need to operate after sunset. Boating traffic had increased greatly because it was the weekend, and there were many boats entering and waiting at the no wake zone to exit. Duffield approached the vessel he had noticed and, during the stop, realized that the operator of the boat had been drinking alcohol. After conducting a Seated Field Sobriety test, he arrested the boat operator on a BUI to prevent a possible accident or other incident.
Several other examples of Sergeant Duffield’s proficiency during his boating patrols, which numbered 4,578 miles in 2023 appeared on the recommendation that he receive the 2024 NASBLA Officer of the Year award. All of this work took place during weekends and on holidays, according to Captain Goodson.
Asked about his reaction to receiving the award, Duffield said simply, “I’m not much into awards, but I really appreciate the honor I received and the recognition that I do work hard at my job.” He added, “I also enjoyed the trip to New Orleans for the gathering of the Officers of the Year from other states.”
‘En route to his present professional position, Duffield, after graduating from Braxton County High School, enrolled at West Virginia University and graduated in 2000. Following that, he worked for the Wheeling, WV, police department. In 2003, he was hired as a conservation officer assigned to Wood County. In 2007, he had a break from the DNR and served one year in Iraq. Now in his 22nd year at the Department of Natural Resources, Shane Duffield says when he isn’t working he has two passions: his family and fly fishing.