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 2022, Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responded to more than 25,600 calls and worked on cases that resulted in nearly 13,800 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 and Investigators work hard each day to serve their communities, protect our precious natural resources, and safeguard public health, while ensuring those who break the state’s stringent Environmental Conservation Laws are held accountable,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “In partnership with local, state, and federal law enforcement, DEC looks forward to continuing to support the work our ECOs perform in every corner of New York.”

 

Protecting New York’s Canals – Cayuga, Onondaga, and Seneca Counties 

 

In September and October, ECOs in DEC Region 7 teamed up with members of the U.S. Coast Guard to patrol New York State’s canals. The canal system connects many of the Finger Lakes to the international waters of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway. ECOs focused on the enforcement of Environmental Conservation and Navigation laws while the U.S. Coast Guard focused on inspecting safety equipment on vessels traveling the canals. Officers issued 15 tickets and written warnings for violations related to fishing, waterfowl hunting, and lack of proper safety equipment, including Personal Flotation Devices. 

 

ECOs and U.S. Coast Guard patrol New York State canals (photo attached)

 

Youth Waterfowl Hunt – Niagara County 

 

On Sept. 23, Environmental Conservation Investigator Holzle and Lieutenant Ver Hague held a youth waterfowl identification course at the Hartland Conservation Club in Gasport. Eleven youth hunters attended the event and all passed the course. The next weekend, some of the young hunters participated in a waterfowl youth hunt at the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area. ECOs Godson, Fuerch, Koepf, Gill, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Officer Wolabaugh joined Investigator Holzle and Lt. Ver Hague in assisting the youth during the hunt. The young hunters were successful, using their newly learned identification techniques to harvest numerous waterfowl that morning.  

 

Young hunters participate in youth waterfowl hunt in Niagara County (photo attached)

 

Violent Domestic Dispute - Rensselaer County 

 

On Oct. 1, ECO Rutherford and New York State Police Trooper Abbot responded to an in-progress domestic dispute in the town of Stephentown. The victim sustained significant injuries during the attack and had fled to a neighbor’s house by the time Officers arrived. After interviewing the victim, the Officers went to the residence where the altercation took place to speak to the suspect. The suspect answered the door with one hand hidden behind his back, ignoring commands to show both hands. He then brandished a 12-gauge shotgun forcing the Officers to take cover and draw their weapons. The suspect was eventually taken into custody at gunpoint and charged with second degree assault, menacing a police officer, and criminal mischief. Officers seized the shotgun as evidence. 

 

Poaching Enforcement – Delaware County 

 

On Oct. 5 while on patrol in the town of Masonville, ECO Osborne observed a vehicle driving slowly down a roadway, shining a bright light from the passenger window at deer in the fields along the road. This activity, known as spotlighting, is legal in New York State but requires permission if done within 500 feet of a residence. Officer Osborne conducted a traffic stop and determined the passenger did not have permission to spotlight and possessed a loaded crossbow inside the vehicle, which is unlawful in New York. ECO Osborne charged the driver and the passenger with use of a spotlight while possessing an unsecured crossbow and possessing a loaded crossbow in a motor vehicle. The tickets are returnable to the Town of Masonville Court.  

 

Crossbow and spotlight located during traffic stop in Delaware County (photo attached)

 

Radiation Screenings During Half-Marathon - Richmond County 

 

On Oct. 8, ECOs Pansini and Broughton joined members of the Region 2 Marine Unit to conduct radiation screenings at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island at the request of U.S. Park Police during the New York City Half Marathon. Fort Wadsworth encompasses a large portion of the race route with an estimated 10,000 runners passing through the area. Radiation detection provided an added layer of protection for the thousands of runners participating and is regularly conducted by Marine Unit ECOs throughout the Marine District both on water and land.  

 

ECOs at the gate to Fort Wadsworth in Richmond County during New York City Half Marathon (photo attached)

 

Social Media Confessions – Schoharie County 

 

On Oct. 9, ECO Bohling received reports from Officer Jankowski in Monroe County about a subject who illegally took a seven-point buck in the town of Wright, Schoharie County. ECO Bohling began her investigation by running the subject’s name through the DEC licensing system before reviewing the subject’s recent social media posts. The Officer discovered the subject purchased a New York State hunting license on Oct. 7 at 10:33 a.m. However, the defendant posted a video of a bloody arrow on Oct. 6, and shortly after that posted a photo of himself and the deer, roughly two hours after purchasing the hunting license on Oct. 7 at 12:29 p.m. Officer Bohling gathered evidence and interviewed the hunter who admitted to shooting the deer on Oct. 6, prior to purchasing his hunting license. He purchased his license the next day to tag the deer. ECO Bohling issued two tickets to the subject for hunting without a hunting license and taking deer illegally and she seized the antlers and venison as evidence. The tickets are returnable to the Town of Wright Court. 

 

ECO Bohling with antlers of a deer taken illegally in Schoharie County (photo attached)

 

Illegal Dumping - Washington County 

 

On Oct. 28, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department contacted ECO Krug about illegal trash dumping along the Champlain Canal at Lock 8. A canal employee observed a U-Haul dumping household garbage and managed to get a license plate number and subject description to pass along to law enforcement. Deputy John Latour identified a subject hired to clean out a foreclosed property in the town of Hartford and linked the same subject to illegal dumping incidents in two other locations. The subject, who is currently on parole, received seven appearance tickets to Argyle, Kingsbury, and Fort Edward town courts for illegal disposal of solid waste and the unlawful disposal of medical waste, among other charges. 

 

Illegally dumped trash discovered in Washington County (photo attached)

 

Fishing Compliance Checks Leads to Charges – Suffolk/Nassau/Kings Counties 

 

From taking tautog too early, to a repeat offender picking up his seventh fishing violation and an angler who tried to hide a flopping fish inside his pocket, here are the highlights from this week’s fishing compliance checks:  

 

• On Sept. 2 and 3, ECO Zullo conducted marine fishing compliance checks in Suffolk County and issued 22 tickets for violations including possession of undersized fish, possessing fish over the daily limit, fish taken out of season, and operation of unregistered vessels. Officer Zullo also seized more than 70 black sea bass, porgies, blackfish (tautog), fluke, and weakfish. Twenty-one of the tickets are returnable to Southold Town Justice Court and one is returnable to Riverhead Town Justice Court.
  

• On Sept. 3, ECO Day checked eight boats while on patrol at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai, Suffolk County, and discovered three with undersized fish including porgy, black sea bass, and fluke. The Officer issued eight tickets for possession of the undersized fish and four tickets for failing to carry a valid marine registry. All tickets were made returnable to Suffolk First District Court. On Sept. 9, Officer Day received a call about three individuals catching and keeping short fluke off the jetty at Shinnecock Inlet. The individuals, all from New Jersey, received tickets for the undersized fish and failure to possess a valid marine registry, all returnable to Southampton Town Court.
  

• On Sept. 9, ECO DeVito responded to a complaint about fishermen keeping small fish off a jetty in Greenport, Suffolk County. The Officer conducted an inspection and discovered multiple small porgies, black sea bass, and blackfish (tautog) caught out of season. In total, Officer DeVito seized 56 illegal fish and issued tickets for the undersized and out-of-season fish, returnable to Southold Town Court. The seized fish were donated to a local wildlife rehabilitation center for use as food for ospreys receiving treatment. 
  

• On Sept. 9, while patrolling the southern Nassau County parkway bridges, ECO Pabes observed two anglers fishing at a popular location for out-of-season blackfish (tautog). Watching through binoculars, the Officer noticed the fishermen appeared to catch fish and then disappear out of view. ECO Pabes suspected illegal activity and called in ECO DeRose and his partner certified in detecting blackfish, K9 Cramer. The Officers approached the anglers who denied catching any fish, but K9 Cramer quickly found the out-of-season blackfish hidden underneath a floating dock. Officers found additional fish hidden in a rock pile under the bridge. Both anglers received tickets for possessing 10 out-of-season blackfish, returnable to Nassau First District Court.
  

• On Sept. 10, ECO Kochanowski observed five individuals fishing at the Lido Beach jetty in the town of Hempstead and observed one angler catch an out-of-season blackfish (tautog). Officer Kochanowski approached the group and discovered the angler who caught the blackfish was the same individual ticketed a month earlier for possessing more than 20 undersized fish and failing to carry an active marine registry. Kochanowski ticketed the repeat offender and another angler for taking out-of-season tautog. The Officers later discovered the repeat offender had been issued at least seven tickets for violations of fish and wildlife laws in 1995, 1999, 2005, 2021, 2022, and twice in 2023.
  

• On Oct. 5, Lieutenant Gates, along with ECOs Kortz and Rappold, conducted a plain clothes enforcement detail at Louis Valentino Pier in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and observed two anglers catching blackfish (tautog) out of season. One angler went as far as trying to conceal a flopping blackfish inside his pocket as he walked back to his car. Lt. Gates and Officer Kortz intercepted the fishermane A search of the angler’s vehicle uncovered four more living blackfish in a plastic bin. ECO Rappold nabbed a second angler with two additional blackfish in a cooler. The ECOs issued tickets to both men, returnable to New York County Court, for fishing without a marine registry and possession of blackfish out of season. 

 

ECO Zullo with seized black sea bass and porgy in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Cooler full of undersized fish discovered by ECO Day in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

ECO DeVito with seized fish in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

K9 Cramer alerts Officers to hidden blackfish in Nassau County (photo attached)

 

Undersized and over-the limit summer flounder seized from repeat offender in Nassau County on Aug. 24, 2023 (photo attached)

 

Clam Carry-On – Queens County 

 

On Oct. 6, ECO Swart responded to John F. Kennedy International Airport for a report of a traveler attempting to import illegal shellfish. Partnering with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Officer Swart discovered the passenger was attempting to bring 933 blood clams weighing more than 80 pounds into the U.S. in their luggage. The passenger received tickets for possession of untagged shellfish and transporting shellfish from uncertified lands into New York, returnable to Queens County Court. 

 

Blood clams illegally imported through the airport (photo attached)

 

2023 ESF Fall Career and Internship Fair - Syracuse 

 

Lieutenant Rigoli and ECOs Scalisi and Kostuk recently attended the fall State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) Career and Internship Fair at the Gateway Center on the ESF campus in Syracuse. This large career fair gave the Officers an opportunity to answer questions from students interested in the environmental field about the qualifications and training required to become an ECO.  

 

ECOs attend the fall Career and Internship Fair in Syracuse (photo attached)

 

To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or to report an incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch or email (for non-urgent violations).