Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen appoints Gary Hamblin Administrator Of the Division of Law Enforcement Services For The Wisconsin Department Of Justice

MADISON - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today appointed Gary Hamblin his Administrator for the Division of Law Enforcement Services (DLES) with the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ).

Hamblin, a professional law enforcement officer for 39 years, was appointed Dane County Sheriff by Governor Tommy Thompson in 1997.  He was reelected in 1998, 2000, and in 2002 to the first four-year term for sheriff.  He will be paid an annual salary of $101,957.

"I am very pleased that Gary Hamblin has joined my team at DOJ and will help me provide leadership to law enforcement throughout the state," Van Hollen said.  "I know his addition to DOJ will further strengthen our partnership with the men and women of law enforcement.  His many years of law enforcement experience at the highest levels will help ensure a safer Wisconsin."

Hamblin served in the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) of DOJ for 29 years, where he worked on organized crime investigations, white collar crime investigations, and murder investigations.  He served as DCI's administrative officer for eight years before heading up DCI's drug enforcement program and then establishing DCI's Gaming Enforcement Bureau.

Prior to that, he served with Sawyer County Sheriff's Office in Hayward.  Hamblin earned a bachelor's degree at UW-Eau Claire and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

The DOJ Division of Law Enforcement Services provides technical assistance and training to state and local law enforcement agencies and officers; maintains central fingerprint identification records and criminal history information for use by state and local police agencies; maintains the TIME System (Transaction Information for the Management of Enforcement);  administers three state crime laboratories which analyze physical evidence for law enforcement officials and prosecutors; and ensures that the minimum recruitment and training qualifications established by the Law Enforcement Standards Board are met by all state and local police officers.

DLES includes the Crime Information Bureau, the Training and Standards Bureau and the State Crime Laboratory, which has facilities in Madison, Milwaukee, and Wausau.