Indiana Conservation Officer Alex Toth, who serves LaPorte County, has been selected as the 2023 District 10 Officer of the Year.

Toth has served as a conservation officer since 2017.

In addition to his normal duties as a field officer, he also serves as a scuba diver, use of force instructor, firearms instructor, field training officer, and passenger for hire inspector.

District 10 includes Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke, and Pulaski counties in northwest Indiana.

The district award puts Toth in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is given to the top overall conservation officer in the state and selected from the 10 district award winners.

The Pitzer Award is named after Indiana Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity on Jan. 2, 1961, in Jay County.