The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State.

 

In 2025, DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement fielded an estimated 101,169 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 35,575 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 15,673 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

 

“DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators enforce New York’s Environmental Conservation Law to ensure the protection of public safety and our vast natural resources including air, water, wildlife, and New York’s one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “This highly specialized and rewarding work is instrumental to upholding our stringent laws and making the great outdoors safe and enjoyable for everyone.”

 

Wildlife Officer of the Year  

Congratulations to ECO Fuerch, who recently received the 2025 National Wild Turkey Federation Wildlife Officer of the Year award. ECO Fuerch was selected by the New York State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation for her thorough and successful 18-month-long fish-and-wildlife investigation that led to the conviction of a serial deer poacher. ECO Fuerch’s hard work and dedication on the case served as inspiration to many of her colleagues and the hunting community. In winning the New York State Wildlife Officer of the Year award, Officer Fuerch will represent New York State in Nashville, Tennessee, at the national ceremony and award banquet.  

 

ECO Fuerch receives the Wildlife Officer of the Year award from the New York State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (photo attached)

 

Bear Cub Released – Schoharie County

On November 12, 2025, ECOs Bohling and Burgess received a call from a trapper in Middleburgh reporting he accidentally caught a bear cub in a foothold trap and wasn’t sure how to safely get the bear out. The individual explained that the trap was originally set for the lawful trapping of coyote or fox. He brought the Officers to the bear’s location and the ECOs held a board between the trapper and the bear cub to shield the trapper from any potential injuries while he worked to release the bear. The trapper successfully released the bear without incident, and the cub ran off seemingly unharmed. It is unlawful to intentionally set traps for bears.  

 

Illegal Sale – Hempstead Township/Nassau County  

On November 15, 2025, ECOs Berketis and Smith responded to a report of a group transferring oversized striped bass into a cooler behind a residence in the Village of Freeport. ECO Smith arrived at the location first, discovered the reported residence was really a deli, and observed a large cooler with 18 striped bass ranging in size from 28 to 41 inches. Suspecting deli employees were in the process of illegally purchasing striped bass, the ECOs questioned the employees and one of them eventually admitted to a plan to purchase approximately 150 pounds of striped bass from an angler for $375 ($2.50/pound). 

 

The Officers contacted the angler by phone, but the subject was uncooperative and resistant to meeting with the ECOs.  

 

On November 23, 2025, ECO Smith spotted the angler’s truck and trailer at a local boat ramp. Officer Smith then contacted ECOs Berketis, Pabes, and Ruffle to help keep watch throughout the day. The angler returned later with two men on board. The trio were found in possession of seven more striped bass—more than the limit of one striped bass per person per day. A wholesaler valued the fish at more than $500. 

 

ECOs issued 19 tickets to four individuals for charges including possession of oversized striped bass, possession of over the limit of striped bass, unlawful sale of untagged striped bass, and unlawful take of striped bass without a permit. Misdemeanor charges were also filed for the illegal sale/offering for sale of fish/wildlife with a value exceeding $250. 

 

Striped bass are a multistate highly regulated species due to noticeable population declines. To protect the species, the member states of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission cooperate in setting harvest limits and other regulations for recreational and commercial striped bass fishing. The illegal take and commercialization of striped bass impact the fishery, recreational anglers, commercial anglers, wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants.  

 

Striped bass illegally possessed in Nassau County (photo attached)

 

Illegal Deer Take – Greene County  

On November 15, 2025, ECO Palmateer received a complaint of hunters discharging firearms near two residences in the Town of Athens. The complainant reported the hunters were still in the woods and harvested a buck. ECOs Milliron and Palmateer responded to the location immediately, interviewed the hunters, and discovered a six-point white-tailed buck and a white-tailed doe, both deceased. The deer were not tagged as required, and the hunters did not have e-tagging capabilities.  

 

The ECOs took statements from the hunters and neighbors and discovered spent shell casings at the location after a thorough search of the area. 

 

The hunters received tickets for discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, illegally taking white-tailed deer, and failing to tag a deer, as required. The case was handled in the Town of Athens Court, and the defendants paid $1,200 in penalties. 

 

ECOs confiscated the two illegally taken deer and transported the carcasses to a local butcher shop to prepare for donation.  

 

Illegal Take from the Road – Greene County  

On November 30, 2025, ECO Palmateer received a phone call reporting two individuals had just shot a doe near a residence on property they did not have permission to be on. The caller took a picture of the vehicle but was unable to get a view of the license plate. ECOs Milliron and Palmateer responded to the location, obtained additional information from the complainant, and patrolled the surrounding area. They eventually located the vehicle in question pulling out of the driveway of a residence. In the back of the vehicle was the carcass of an antlerless deer. The Officers interviewed both subjects and requested the hunters follow them back to the location where the deer was harvested. Officer Palmateer observed two spent shell casings in the middle of the road when they arrived back at the location indicating the subjects had shot the deer from the roadway. Both subjects eventually admitted to seeing the deer in the woods, parking their vehicle a short distance away, walking down the road and firing at the deer from the middle of the road. The subjects received tickets for taking white-tailed deer from a public highway and discharging a firearm from a public highway, both misdemeanors. The ECOs confiscated the deer and transported it to a local butcher shop to be prepared for donation.   

 

Defensive Tactics – Pulaski Training Academy 

In December 2025, DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement held a Defensive Tactics Instructor Course at the DEC Law Enforcement Training Academy in Pulaski. ECO LaPoint, along with ECOs Ableson, Goonan, Hull, McCabe, Michalet and Scalisi and Lieutenants Burnell and Levanway, taught the 80-hour course designed to develop an instructor capable of teaching their colleagues the specific law enforcement skill of defensive tactics and arrest control techniques. Members of the Jefferson and Oswego County Sheriff’s Departments also attended the course. DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement gained five new Defensive Tactics Instructors following the training: ECOs Barrett (Region 2); Bieber (Region 7); Nolan (Region 2); Rappold (Region 3); and Swart (Region 7). 

 

Newest Defensive Tactics Instructors, from left to right, ECOs Swart (Region 7); Nolan (Region 2); Barrett (Region 2); Bieber (Region 7); and Rappold (Region 3) (photo attached)

 

Holiday Helpers – Franklin County 

On December 17, 2025, ECOs Garrand and Hovey assisted the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity with transporting gifts in Franklin County. The gifts were distributed to families in the Saranac Lake area to help make it a memorable holiday season. Items were donated by local businesses and distributed by the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity’s Holiday Helpers program, a not-for-profit organization based in Franklin and Clinton counties.  

ECOs Garrand and Hovey partnered with the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity to distribute gifts to children in Franklin County during the holiday season (photo attached)

 

All-Terrain Vehicle Detail – Suffolk County  

On December 27, 2025, ECOs Anderson and Della Rocco partnered with Suffolk County Parks and Suffolk County Police on a multiagency all-terrain vehicle (ATV) enforcement detail focused on illegal ATV and 4x4 activity. The team patrolled various areas throughout the county, including Manorville, where ECO Anderson observed a quad ATV designed for a single person traveling with two occupants on a highway. The individuals fled from the Officer despite being signaled to stop. ECOs Anderson and Della Rocco canvassed the area and discovered the ATV abandoned on a trail. They searched further and located the ATV riders on a nearby trail waiting to be picked up as their ATV had broken down while fleeing from the ECOs. The riders received multiple tickets, including failure to wear a helmet, carrying an excess person on an ATV, and fleeing from a Police Officer while operating an ATV.  

 

Abandoned ATV discovered on a trail in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Over Bag Limit – Nassau County  

On January 2, ECO Ruffle observed two hunters shoot into a large flock of Atlantic brant in the Town of Hempstead, killing four of them. Officer Ruffle ticketed both hunters for taking more than their bag limit. ECO Franz arrived at the same location and conducted compliance checks on other hunters in the area. He ticketed one subject for failure to possess a New York State Harvest Information Program (HIP) number.  

 

Atlantic brant populations have struggled in recent years, resulting in the daily bag limit and season length being lowered from two brant per day and a 50-day season to one brant per day and a 30-day season. Data generated through HIP are critical for providing information to waterfowl biologists estimating migratory bird populations and managing waterfowl sustainability. All migratory waterfowl hunters are required to register with HIP and have their registration confirmation number on their person when afield hunting migratory waterfowl.  

 

Illegally taken Atlantic brant in Nassau County (photo attached)

 

Buck Rescue – Ulster County 

On January 3, ECO Walraven responded to a call regarding two bucks entangled together in a length of rope in Marbletown. One of the bucks was reportedly deceased, and the other was alive but could not free itself. ECO Walraven utilized an extendable saw to free the living deer, and the animal ran off. It was last observed alive and appeared healthy.  

 

Teamwork and K9 Finn – Brookhaven Township/Suffolk County 

On January 4, the opening day of Suffolk County’s special firearms season, ECOs Cacciola, DeRose, Layton, and Perkins responded to a vacant camp in the Town of Brookhaven after receiving reports that a black pickup truck had entered the closed facility and a gunshot was heard shortly after. ECOs arrived at the location and discovered a pickup truck matching the description. The Officers observed a gun case in the rear seat, a blood spot on the ground behind the truck, and blood on the tailgate. The ECOs then located two hunters carrying bows. The subjects stated they had permission to be on the property and had shot a deer earlier with a shotgun and then reentered the woods to bowhunt. While ECOs Cacciola and Layton continued the interview, Officers DeRose and Perkins took K9 Finn toward the entrance of the property, where the neighbor reportedly heard the gunshot. Despite freezing temperatures, the ECOs and K9 Finn successfully located a gut pile, a recently fired spent shell casing, and a bait pile. The Officers determined that the shooter discharged his shotgun within 500 feet of a neighboring house, based on the location of the shell casing, and hunted with the aid of bait. ECOs charged the shooter with discharging a firearm within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling; hunting with the aid of a preestablished bait pile; failure to tag deer; and the unlawful take of white-tailed deer.  

 

K9 Finn found a spent shell casing during an illegal hunting investigation in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch.