In a community like Davis County, which is dominated by the imposing Wasatch Front, wildlife are held in high regard. The peace officers responsible for protecting these resources are the Division of Natural Resources’ Conservation Officers, a job held in high regard in outdoor communities. One such officer, assigned to Davis County, is Officer Brooklyn Joseph. Her territory covers the entirety of the county, ranging from mountains to marshes. 

Joseph knew very early on that she wanted a career in law enforcement, and her path to that role had been clear from the start.

“I grew up wanting to be a cop, I had an uncle that was a cop and I [really] looked up to him,” Brooklyn said. “I really got into hunting with my dad, and then when I realized there’s a job that combines wildlife with being a cop  [I thought] ‘oh this is perfect.’”

Much of Joseph’s career has been driven by a strong desire to serve her country. She began on this path her freshman year of college, when she joined the military, enlisting in the Army National guard as an Aviation Operation Specialist, before deploying to Iraq in 2018 as a door gunner.

“I’ve always had the desire to serve,” Joseph said. “So the guard was a good fit for me.”

She completed her schooling at Utah State University, with an associate degree in criminal justice, a bachelor’s in Wildlife Ecology and Management, and just recently finished her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, doing her capstone on the role of emotional intelligence with law enforcement leadership.

Originally from Salt Lake County, Davis County was her first choice for assignment and in a stroke of luck she was assigned here out of college. She was drawn to the diversity of the county, ranging from the mountains of the Wasatch, to the Marshlands of the Great Salt Lake.

“I think when some people think of Davis county, they think ‘Oh what’s out there?’” Joseph said. “I have a mix of everything – I’ve got the waterfowl, and the big game cases.”

The biggest thing Joseph has come to love during her time as a Conservation Officer, is the people, which is her strongest trait.

“It’s the people I meet, it’s the people I work with, they’re awesome,” she said. “It’s also members of the public. Checking licenses I can go from a mom with her kids, to an older gentleman who just wants to talk about life and his experiences – everyone has a story.”

You can tell she has a genuine love for the people she’s interacting with, which is an especially important trait for a law enforcement officer. She stays very active in community outreach, and public events. She displays this with the highlights of her career, moments such as taking a veteran on a hunt, and speaking with kids.

“That’s the stuff that means something to me,” Joseph said. “Because that means I’m making a difference.”

The law enforcement side of her job also plays a huge role. In her most memorable case, Joseph was involved in the first illegal baiting. The state outlawed the practice in 2021, and the perpetrator was caught illegally luring deer with bait.

“It was really important to see that case all the way through,” Joseph said. “To  help the court process. It was a new law, and they had nothing to reference. So it sets the standard for how we’re going to handle things across the state.”

At her heart, and one of the reasons she got into the career, Joseph is still a true hunter. Despite working the busy weekends, and openers, she still finds plenty of time to balance her work life with her passion, and spend her falls in the marsh, honoring the tradition she protects.

It’s a challenging, yet rewarding, job that demands a unique blend of skills, but for officers like Joseph, it’s a calling she is proud to answer.