HAMILTON CO. – Indiana Conservation Officer John Gano, who served Hamilton County until he retired at the end of 2024, has been selected as the 2024 District 4 Officer of the Year.
Gano served as a conservation officer for 29 years. He began his career in Marion County before transferring to Hamilton County in 1998.
In addition to his regular duties as a field officer, Gano served as a public information officer, field training officer, boat accident investigator, and background investigator for the Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement.
District 4 includes Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Hamilton, Henry, Howard, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Tipton, and Wayne counties.
The district award puts Gano in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is presented to the top overall conservation officer in the state and is selected from the 10 district winners.
The Pitzer Award is named after Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity on Jan. 2, 1961, in Jay County.
