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 2024, the Division of Law Enforcement fielded more than 105,717 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 30,109 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 15,755 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 protect New York’s air, water, wildlife, and public safety, while also working to connect New Yorkers with the outdoors,” Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “As we tackle environmental threats on all fronts, I applaud the critical work DEC’s ECOs and Investigators are undertaking to enforce New York’s Environmental Conservation Law and ensure a cleaner, greener, safer, and more resilient New York State.”

 

Too Many Turkeys – Cayuga and Onondaga Counties

 

In late May, ECO Prentice received an anonymous tip about a turkey hunter in Cayuga and Onondaga counties taking more than the spring turkey bag limit of two birds. Officer Prentice followed up on the report, responded to the location of the subject’s last known hunt in the town of Owasco, and observed the hunter on a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) at the described location. ECO Prentice conducted a compliance check and determined one of the hunter’s two shotguns on the UTV was still loaded and two turkey tags he possessed were not filled out as required. The hunter admitted after an extended interview to taking two birds in late May: one in the town of Owasco, Cayuga County; and another in the town of Otisco, Onondaga County. He did not admit to taking more than the legal limit. ECO Prentice issued the subject one ticket for the loaded firearm on a motor vehicle, two tickets for not tagging turkeys, and one ticket for hunting turkeys after reaching the season limit.

 

Knowing that most turkeys are taken in the first 10 days of the spring season instead of the latter part of the month as the hunter stated, ECO Prentice and Lieutenant Colesante continued the investigation. The Officers eventually obtained information that the same hunter took a turkey in the first week of the season in Cayuga County. The subject admitted to taking more than the legal limit of turkeys when confronted with the evidence against him and received an additional ticket for taking over the limit of spring turkeys.  

 

Smoke Chokepoints – Bronx County

During the month of June, ECOs participated in a detail at chokepoints in Bronx County led by New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police and the New York City Police Department. While the local agencies continued their campaign against counterfeit license plates in New York City, ECOs focused on addressing environmental violations committed by commercial vehicles traveling through these bottleneck areas. ECOs issued dozens of tickets for air quality emissions violations, unlicensed operations, and expired safety and emissions inspections.

 

Old Crane, Giant Pain – Kings County

 

On June 3, ECOs Baldwin and Bieber responded to a complaint regarding a crane leaking hydraulic fluid while being transported on a public highway in Brooklyn. A New York City sanitation worker who witnessed the incident reported the crane had run out of fluid halfway through transport and the owner brought more fluid to keep the crane running until it reached its destination at a marina in the county. The ECOs issued the crane owner a ticket for depositing a noisome or unwholesome substance on a public highway, returnable to Kings County Criminal Court. DEC Spill Response experts also responded to the incident and issued the crane owner an Order on Consent requiring that they cover the cost associated with cleaning up the spill.

 

Hydraulic fluid from crane spilled on roadway in Kings County (photo attached)

 

Unlawful Trap – Kings County

 

On June 4, ECOs Barrett and Bieber responded to a complaint of a raccoon caught in a trap in the backyard of a Brooklyn residence. The animal was reportedly without food or water for two days. The Officers arrived at the location and spoke to a resident who claimed his family was afraid of raccoons coming into their yard and wanted to prevent unwanted visits. The ECOs received permission to enter the backyard where they observed a young, seemingly healthy raccoon in a trap. The ECOs freed the raccoon, seized the trap as evidence, and issued three tickets to the resident for trapping without a license, trapping during the closed season, and possession of a furbearer, returnable to Kings County Criminal Court.

 

Raccoon caught in unlawful trap in Brooklyn backyard (photo attached)

 

ECOs Honored – Westchester County

 

On June 27, ECOs Franz and Schuck received “Certificates of Recognition” from New York State Senator Pete Harckham and State Assemblymember Chris Burdick for partnering with Investigators from the Westchester County Waste Commission to locate an unauthorized solid waste management facility in the town of Lewisboro. DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton and DEC Region 3 Director Kelly Turturro also attended the ceremony honoring the Officers for the interagency coordination, along with DEC Division of Law Enforcement Acting Colonel Gillis, Lieutenant Dainack, and other law enforcement colleagues.

 

In April, Officers Franz and Schuck responded to the facility in Lewisboro and observed approximately 30,000 cubic yards of illegal fill material. The ECOs investigated and determined that the property owner was transporting construction and demolition debris from construction sites in Connecticut to Westchester County to process it with a soil screener and sell as “clean topsoil from a farm.” The Officers issued tickets to the trucking company for waste transporter violations and to the property owner for unlawful disposal of solid waste and operating an unlawful solid waste management facility.

 

Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Burdick honored the Officers for exemplary service to their community and state and for their “commitment to ensuring the health, safety, and prosperity of current and future generations.”

 

ECO Franz, who has been with DEC for six years, has received multiple awards in his service including the DEC Commissioner’s Meritorious Service Award and the Carnegie Medal, presented to civilians who put themselves at great risk of serious injury or even death to save others. He received these awards for pulling a driver and his dog from a burning vehicle in 2022.

 

ECO Schuck, who has also been with DEC for six years, was a member of the Southern District Solid Waste Task Force that identified multiple massive illegal dump sites located throughout Westchester, Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan counties in 2022. One Orange County site alone was estimated to have received 47,000 cubic yards of illegal fill. That amount of material would fill more than 3,000 tri-axle dump trucks.

 

In 2025 alone, ECOs Franz and Schuck identified eight illegal soil dump sites in Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties.

 

Congratulations to ECOs Franz and Schuck.

 

Left to Right: Lt. Dainack, Deputy Commissioner Franklin, Assemblymember Chris Burdick, ECO Franz, Commissioner Lefton, ECO Schuck, Senator Pete Harckham, Acting Colonel Gillis, and Regional Director Turturro at an award ceremony honoring ECOs Franz and Schuck (photo attached)

 

Bike Patrol – Ulster County

 

Six ECOs from DEC’s Southern District recently graduated from a bike patrol school hosted by the City of Kingston Police Department from June 30 to July 3.

 

During the four-day course, ECOs trained in law enforcement specific techniques such as tactical dismounts, utilizing bicycles as defensive tools, and incorporating firearm training during scenarios where Officers are on bicycles. ECOs also practiced navigating various terrains including ascending and descending stairs, biking through trails, and patrolling city streets, as well as laws pertaining to bicycles and pedestrians.

 

Patrols utilizing bicycles allow for more community interaction and can give Officers opportunities to observe their environments more comprehensively than they are able to in their patrol vehicles.

 

ECOs were also trained on electric bikes during the course, which can offer greater mobility for Officers tackling tough terrains during daily patrols and can allow them to investigate violations and execute enforcement in locations unreachable by a patrol vehicle or on foot.

 

ECOs attend bike patrol training organized by the Kingston Police Department (photo attached)

 

Officers navigate staircases during Kingston Police Department bicycle training in Ulster County (photo attached)

 

Fishing Clinics – Erie County

 

On June 14 and 28, ECOs Machnica, Wilson, and Lieutenant Mathis assisted with two fishing clinics at Tifft Nature Preserve and Chestnut Ridge County Park in Erie County. DEC and the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs hosted both fishing clinics and educated participants about fish identification, fishing equipment and techniques, DEC’s fisheries management programs, angling ethics, and aquatic ecology before attendees got an opportunity to put some of those skills to use by throwing their fishing lines into the water. The Officers assisted some of the newer anglers with baiting hooks, unhooking fish, and answered fishing-related questions. Both events were well attended, and many fish were caught on both days.

 

ECO Wilson assists young angler with unhooking a sunfish at fishing clinic in Erie County (photo attached)

 

Fishing Compliance Checks – Statewide

 

From taking shellfish from uncertified waters to allegedly tossing illegal fish and other debris from a party boat, ECOs had their hands full in the past several weeks conducting statewide fishing compliance checks: 

• On June 21, ECOs Cacciola and Perkins conducted late-night fishing compliance checks along the North Shore beaches in Smithtown, Suffolk County, focused on recreational saltwater fishing. The Officers checked several anglers well into the night and early the next morning and issued 11 tickets to several subjects for possessing undersized marine species. ECOs also confiscated one blue claw crab with eggs, 25 porgy, and two weakfish during the overnight patrol. 

• On June 23, ECOs Bayne and Nolan observed four individuals crabbing in Jamaica Bay. The subjects discarded their catches and attempted to flee when the Officers approached but the ECOs stopped them, conducted an inspection, and discovered multiple undersized summer flounder, nine undersized blue claw crabs, and seven blue claw crabs with eggs. ECOs issued three tickets to two individuals returnable to Queens County Court. 

A week later, on June 30, Officers Bayne and Nolan encountered three individuals harvesting crabs with eggs at Coney Island Creek Park in Brooklyn. The anglers possessed 66 blue claw crabs with eggs and Officers ticketed two subjects (one ticket each) for possession of crabs in spawn, returnable to Kings County Court. The ECOs then released all 66 live crabs back to the waters of New York State.

 

Egg-bearing crustacea, such as crabs and lobsters, are protected by New York Environmental Conservation Law to support the continued propagation of the species. For more information about New Yorks crab regulations, visit https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/saltwater-fishing/crabbing. 

• On June 24, ECOs Barbera, Barrett, Farner, and Officer Lepre of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement conducted fishing compliance checks in New York Harbor and Jamaica Bay focused on anglers fishing from vessels. The Officers boarded a boat during the patrol and observed the captain in possession of 20 bluefish, 17 over the legal limit. They confiscated all 17 fish and issued a ticket to the captain for possessing over the limit of bluefish, returnable to New York County Court. 

• On June 25, ECOs Dickson, Giarratana, and Griffin conducted a fishing compliance check on a commercial party charter vessel while patrolling the Atlantic Ocean near the Cholera Reef. The Officers observed dozens of dead sea bass floating next to the vessel along with cigarette butts and garbage that were tossed overboard as the Officers approached. The ECOs gathered the fish from the water and began inspecting coolers and compartments on the vessel, finding additional illegal fish and lobsters on board. The Officers retrieved 60 undersized black sea bass, three undersized fluke, and two illegal lobsters during their search. The Officers issued a total of 14 tickets, including citations for dumping upon signal to stop, possession of undersized sea bass and fluke, and illegal possession of lobsters since none of the anglers on board possessed either a recreational lobster permit or a commercial lobster permit as required by law in New York. All citations are returnable to Nassau First District Court.  

• On June 30, ECOs Kaufherr and DeRose responded to reports of a small group taking shellfish from Sunken Meadow Creek in Suffolk County, an area uncertified and closed to shellfishing. Officer Kaufherr arrived first and observed a male subject digging in the creek bed during low tide while another subject stood on the opposite side of the creek. ECO DeRose arrived a short time later and joined the surveillance until the two subjects appeared to notice the Officers and began walking away from the creek in opposite directions. ECO Kaufherr detained the subject observed digging and Officer DeRose ran toward the mouth of the creek where he encountered two women he suspected were part of the group of anglers first reported. The Officers conducted fishing compliance checks on the three members of the party and recovered discarded rakes and plastic bags containing hard clams and oysters. The ECOs were unable to find the fourth male subject observed earlier. The Officers confiscated all the illegally caught shellfish, which included oysters, hard clams, and soft clams. They issued nine tickets for placing rakes in uncertified waters and unlawfully taking shellfish. All tickets are returnable to Suffolk County First District Court. 

• On July 7, ECOs Francis, Griffin, and Ruffle partnered with the Nassau County Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard for a boat patrol on the Long Island Sound in Nassau County. The Officers checked boats and anglers for compliance with New York’s fishing regulations, navigation law, and overall boater safety. 

ECOs inspected a vessel north of Glen Cove during the patrol and discovered an expired fire extinguisher, expired flares, and only four Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) for the five people on board. The Officers issued a ticket and warning to the boat captain, terminated the voyage, followed the vessel back to a nearby marina, and advised the captain they could take the boat back out if they brought another PFD on board. 

 

In separate incidents that day, Officers ticketed anglers fishing from other vessels for possessing undersized porgy and fluke, including one angler who possessed more than 25 undersized porgy, with the smallest being 8.5 inches. Porgy must be at least 11 inches when fishing from a vessel. 

• ECOs in DEC Region 4 recently completed another successful striped bass enforcement initiative that resulted in nearly 100 tickets. Now in its third year, the detail focused on anglers fishing from vessels and along the shorelines of the Hudson River during the months of April and May, peak times for striped bass activity. Officers checked hundreds of anglers and vessels on foot and by boat for compliance with New York’s recreational fishing regulations. They issued 98 tickets during the detail for violations including failure to possess a fishing license and marine registry and violations of navigation safety laws. ECOs addressed some of the more minor violations with written warnings and education, rather than enforcement, issuing more than 50 written warnings and nearly as many verbal warnings. Striped bass remain one of New York’s most popular sportfish and are strictly regulated due to the delicate health of the fishery and their spawning activity which typically occurs in the spring, as water temperatures rise. ECOs also assisted two vessels in distress during the detail, participated in one search for a missing kayaker, and encountered one incident involving a boater operating a vessel while intoxicated. 

Illegally caught fish confiscated during overnight saltwater fishing patrol in Smithtown (photo attached)

 

Illegally caught crabs bearing eggs confiscated during patrols in Kings and Queens counties (photo attached)

 

ECOs Barrett and Barbera with fish caught illegally from a vessel in New York County (photo attached)

 

ECOs Giarratana (left), Dickson (center), and Griffin (right) with illegal fish removed from a party boat during an Atlantic Ocean patrol (photo attached)

 

Illegally caught oysters and clams confiscated from Sunken Meadow Creek (photo attached)

 

Undersized porgy and fluke confiscated during boat patrols in the Long Island Sound (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).