DEC Contact: Jomo Miller (518) 402-8000 November 09, 2023
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ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION POLICE ON PATROL |
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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.”
Illegal Log Dump - Suffolk County, NY A tree service company in Deer Park recently paid a $2,500 fine for illegally dumping eight large loads of logs and tree debris on public lands at the Central Pine Barrens in Yaphank. DEC Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigators identified the responsible party after the Central Pine Barrens Commission and Suffolk County Sherriff’s Office discovered the illegally dumped debris, totaling more than 100 cubic yards. The piles were removed and disposed of properly.
Logs and debris illegally dumped in Suffolk County (photo attached)
Joint Waterfowl Detail - Western NY ECOs in DEC Regions 7 and 8 conducted compliance checks on waterfowl hunters on opening weekend in the Western Zone. Officers focused on Cayuga Lake, Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area in Seneca County, and the Lake Ontario bays of Cayuga and Wayne counties. On each day of the weekend detail, four teams of two ECOs headed afield and checked more than 150 hunters. The Officers issued 14 tickets for waterfowl hunting violations including unplugged guns and failure to possess licenses, stamps, and registrations with the Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program, as required.
ECO Scalisi checking duck hunters at Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area (photo attached)
Over Bait - Suffolk County On Oct. 2, ECO Cacciola responded to an injured fawn in Saint James. The fawn appeared to have died from natural causes, but the Officer became suspicious after discovering three nearby deer stands and a bait pile in the small, forested area. Officer Cacciola periodically checked the area and on Oct. 8 witnessed two hunters set up in tree stands. The hunters had written permission to be on the property but admitted during questioning to baiting the area. One of the hunters confessed to shooting a doe with an arrow earlier that morning. Officer Anderson arrived at the location to assist in seizing evidence including the doe, the hunters’ bows, and samples of the bait. Both hunters were charged with hunting with the aid of a preestablished bait pile the hunter who took the doe earlier in the day faced an additional charge of illegally taking a deer. The tickets are returnable to Suffolk County First District Court.
Seized bow used to illegally take a deer in Suffolk County (photo attached) Battery Park Burmese - New York County On Oct. 11, U.S. Park Police and New York City Parks Enforcement Officers alerted ECO Goonan about a man with a large python in Battery Park near the Statue of Liberty ferry terminal. Officer Goonan arrived at the location to find an individual with a 12-foot Burmese python without a permit. ECOs Ableson and Pansini joined the Officer to assist and confirmed the subject is the same individual who recently had a Burmese and reticulated python in his possession at the same location. Both species are listed as dangerous animals under Environmental Conservation Law. ECOs seized the python and issued a New York City summons for possessing a wild animal. The python was transported to the Nassau County SPCA Police.
Nassau County SPCA Detective Roper and ECO Goonan with 12-foot Burmese python (photo attached)
Trunk or Treat - Niagara County On Oct.14, ECO Scheer attended a “Trunk or Treat” event at Niagara County Community College in Sanborn. The event, organized by the Niagara County Sherriff’s Office and Emergency Services Unit, included emergency responders from across the county. Officer Scheer handed out candy to local children dressed in their Halloween best, including some who dressed up as players from the hometown Buffalo Bills. The treats were generously donated by the New York Conservation Officers Association.
ECO Scheer with trunk or treaters in Niagara County (photo attached) On Oct. 19, ECOs Tompkins and Franz conducted a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Detail in Westchester County with assistance from DEC’s Bureau of Pesticides, New York State Police, and the Lewisboro Police Department. The enforcement focused on air quality, solid waste, invasive species, and pesticides and resulted in five tickets issued for violations including expired Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle (HDDV) emissions inspections, uncovered loads of solid waste, and operation of a HDDV with a failed emission test.
ECO Tompkins inspecting a truck during Commercial Vehicle Checkpoint Detail (photo attached)
Corn and Crossbows - Suffolk County On Oct. 22, ECO Zullo conducted a hunting compliance check in the town of Southold. During his investigation, Officer Zullo discovered the hunter was using a crossbow to hunt white-tailed deer over a pile of corn approximately 25 yards in front of a tree stand with a trail camera facing the corn pile. In Suffolk County it is unlawful to hunt white-tailed deer with a crossbow; in New York State it is unlawful to hunt deer with the aid of preestablished bait. ECO Zullo collected the crossbow, bolts, trail camera, and corn as evidence and ticketed the hunter for hunting deer with the aid of a preestablished bait pile, hunting with an unlawful crossbow, and hunting deer with a crossbow in Suffolk County. All summonses are returnable to Southold Town Justice Court.
Bait pile of corn discovered near tree stand and trail camera in Suffolk County (photo attached)
Fishing Compliance Checks – Broome/Suffolk/Nassau/Kings/New York Counties From catching cast netters on camera to busting illegal sidewalk fish markets, here are some of the highlights from this week’s statewide fishing compliance checks:
Fish and cast nets seized by ECOs in Broome County (photo attached)
ECO Dickson with various undersized and out-of-season species in Suffolk County (photo attached)
ECO Kortz with confiscated Chinese mitten crabs and blood clams (photo attached) From Left to Right – Lieutenant Levanway with ECOs Goonan and Ableson and fish seized in Manhattan (photo attached)
ECOs Perkins and Paschke with 14 undersized blackfish and black sea bass (photo attached) ECO Traynor with fish seized after early morning surveillance in Brooklyn (photo attached)
ECO Awarded Sportsman of the Year – Sullivan County Congratulations to ECO Wood on being awarded Sportsmen’s Club of Sullivan County “Sportsman of the Year.” Officer Wood received the award in October for outstanding professionalism and dedication to the sporting community of Sullivan County. ECO Wood is a 16-year veteran with DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement and was accompanied at the ceremony by his family and his colleagues.
Sportsman of the Year ECO Wood with his K9 partner CJ (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). |
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