TWRA Wildlife Officer Justin Pinkston has been honored with the Shikar–Safari Club International 2023 Tennessee Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.  Pinkston is assigned to Jefferson County in TWRA’s District 42.

The annual award from the conservation-based organization honors the officer whose efforts during the year display outstanding performance and achievement among TWRA law enforcement personnel.  Pinkston is among a distinguished group of officers to receive the honor from among all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces.  Along with his duties as a wildlife officer, Pinkston is very active in his community, representing the Agency at events and by teaching and assisting in educational programs. His work in Boater and Hunter Education courses resulted in more than 300 students graduating in 2023.  He also was a representative at the Agency’s popular Appalachian Fair display and at the Operation Dry Water media event.

Pinkston actively patrolled Cherokee and Douglas Lakes in Jefferson County, both of which are well known for fishing and recreation. He also patrolled the other District 42 counties’ lakes, rivers, streams, and access areas as well as adjacent wildlife management areas. He served as the lead investigator on eight boating incidents and arrested ten impaired operators for Boating Under the Influence (BUI). Pinkston also understands the importance of training, as he was selected and completed Advanced BUI, Boat Investigation Level 2, Firearms Instructor, and Advanced Interview and Interrogation Technique classes within the last year.  Shikar-Safari Club has been a great partner to the Agency by donating funds for TWRA’s elk program along with funding to acquire mounted wildlife to be utilized in law enforcement efforts. Shikar-Safari Club International was founded in 1952 for the purpose of advancing knowledge concerning wildlife of the world.