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 2023, the Division of Law Enforcement fielded more than 101,500 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 30,932 complaints and working on cases that resulted in nearly 16,900 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

 

“Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Investigators serving in DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement are working tirelessly across the state to protect natural resources and public safety while holding poachers and polluters accountable,” DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. “DEC looks forward to continuing to work with our local, State, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure compliance with New York’s stringent environmental conservation laws and promote the safe and responsible enjoyment of the outdoors.”

 

This is Not a Dump – Steuben County

On April 12, ECO McNamara received information from a New York State Police Trooper about illegally dumped household garbage on a back road in the town of Lindley. Officer McNamara went through several bags of the dumped garbage at the site and discovered information pointing to multiple subjects in the area. After several interviews, one subject took responsibility for illegally dumping the trash and received a ticket for the unlawful disposal of solid waste, returnable to the Town of Lindley Court.

 

Household garbage dumped along a road in the town of Lindley, Steuben County (photo attached)

 

Interview an ECO – Farmingdale State College/Suffolk County

On April 18, ECOs Kochanowski and Smith sat for interviews with 10 environmental law students from the business management undergraduate program at Farmingdale State College in East Farmingdale. The students were instructed by their professor to interview an environmental law professional as a requirement of their class and then submit a summary of the conversation. Students asked the Officers thoughtful questions about future environmental regulations that could impact New Yorkers and restrictions placed on certain businesses to protect the environment.  

 

Also in Suffolk County, on May 6, ECO Anderson spoke to students in the Explorers Program at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office in Yaphank. The program, created by the Sheriff’s Office, is designed for youth ages 14 to 20 interested in a career in law enforcement or the criminal justice system; the program focuses on the importance of self-discipline and higher education through interactive training and community service. Officer Anderson explained to the students the extensive training required to be an ECO, outlined her daily duties as an Officer in the field, and answered questions from the students before showing them some of the equipment ECOs utilize during patrols.  

 

ECO Kochanowski interviewed by students at Farmingdale State College (photo attached)

 

ECO Anderson speaks to students from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Program (photo attached)

 

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery Spring Festival - Suffolk County

On April 27, ECOs Day and Pabes attended the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery Spring Festival. The event included environmental and live animal exhibits and fishing with youth attendees. New York State managed the trout hatchery until 1982. The facility is now an education center and aquarium where hatchery staff raise and stock trout. DEC Freshwater Fisheries and Division of Communication, Education, and Engagement staff also participated in the event. ECOs spoke to children and adults about their job duties and requirements to become an ECO.

 

ECO Day shares information with attendees at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery Spring Festival (photo attached)

 

Turkey Open and a Side of Oats – Steuben County

On May 1, opening day of the spring turkey season, ECO McNamara received a tip about an area baited with oats in the town of Bath. The ECO responded to the location, heard a shot, and waited for the subject to return to their vehicle. Several hours later, Officer McNamara observed an individual walking toward a truck in the area and approached them. The subject admitted to shooting the turkey from a ground blind in an area baited with oats. Officer McNamara ticketed the subject for hunting turkey with the aid of bait and for killing protected wildlife except as permitted by the fish and wildlife law, both returnable to the Town of Bath Justice Court.

 

ECO McNamara with turkey illegally taken in Steuben County (photo attached)

 

Area baited with oats in front of a ground blind and trail camera in Steuben County (photo attached)

 

Illegal Turkey Take – Hamilton County

On May 1, ECO Manns responded to a complaint about a turkey being shot from the roadway near a residence in the town of Benson. Officer Manns interviewed the complainant and a witness to the event who described a vehicle stopping on the roadway and an occupant shooting the turkey on the complainant’s property before driving away. ECO Newell arrived at the location to assist with the investigation and evidence documentation. ECOs Manns and Newell located and interviewed the subject a short time later. The subject admitted to shooting the turkey. ECOs issued several tickets to the subject including the illegal take of a turkey and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a residence.

 

ECO Manns with illegally taken turkey in Hamilton County (photo attached)

 

“I Love NY Fishing” – Cattaraugus County

On May 4, ECO Powers participated in an “I Love NY Fishing” clinic along Cattaraugus Creek at the Gowanda Fire Department. DEC Fisheries employees attended the clinic and educated participants about fish identification while expert anglers taught skills such as fly rod casting and knot tying before attendees got a chance to cast their nets into the water. More than 40 anglers of all abilities participated in the clinic, and some found some success catching fish.

 

Five Boro Bike Tour – New York City

On May 5, ECOs Pansini, Farner, Goonan, and Lieutenant Levanway assisted U.S. Park Police with public safety during the Five Boro Bike Tour. The event drew approximately 32,000 riders on a bike route throughout all five boroughs of New York City. DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement conducted radiation detection at entrances to Fort Wadsworth, one of the oldest military installations in the nation that now serves as a visitor center in Richmond County. Riders gathered at Fort Wadsworth for a festival after the bike tour. Multi-agency coordination was paramount to helping ensure participants remained safe from start to finish.

 

Radiation surveillance post at Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City (photo attached)

 

On May 6, 7, and 8, ECOs Currey, Farner, Broughton, Veloski, and Kortz teamed up with Officers from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for a joint enforcement detail in the federal waters of the Atlantic Ocean focused on highly migratory species regulations and gear compliance. The Officers checked tuna anglers for permits and vessels for compliance with safety regulations and found federal violations including out-of-season black sea bass. For more information on highly migratory species, visit NOAA’s website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/atlantic-highly-migratory-species 

 

ECO Kortz and National Marine Fisheries Service Officers board vessel on the Atlantic Ocean for compliance checks (photo attached)

 

Duckling Release – Suffolk County

On May 7, ECO DeRose received a call from an elementary school reporting a hen mallard duck and her ducklings in the school’s courtyard. This is not the only time ducks have inhabited the school’s courtyard over the years, but unfortunately the area is also a perfect location for seagulls to perch on the roof and attack the defenseless ducklings. ECO DeRose responded, met with school employees, and removed the mallard and 12 of her hatchlings from the courtyard. ECO DeRose then took the family of ducks to a nearby waterbody and released them back to the wild. Check out the video here: https://youtube.com/shorts/9FbtWrvQ9M8?feature=share 

 

Rescued ducklings discovered in elementary school courtyard, Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Between a Rock and a Hard Place – Dutchess County

On May 8, ECO Johnson observed a vessel in distress while on boat patrol on the Hudson River in Dutchess County. The vessel struck a large rock in front of Esopus Island, causing the boat to take on water. Officer Johnson responded and helped the three occupants aboard the damaged boat onto his police boat and brought them back to shore at Norrie Point State Park. Crews removed the damaged vessel the next day. Boaters on the Hudson River are reminded to follow the navigation charts and channel buoys to stay safe.

 

Vessel stranded after striking rocks in Dutchess County (photo attached)

 

Off-Duty Call – Dutchess County

On May 10, ECO Johnson received a call while off-duty reporting an individual attempting to catch river herring with a net in Wappinger Creek in the town of Wappinger. Officer Johnson was just 10 minutes away and responded to the location in his personal vehicle to record the subject breaking the law. The ECO sent the video to ECO Walraven, who responded and apprehended the violator. The subject admitted to using the net to catch herring but believed he shouldn’t get a ticket because he hadn’t caught anything yet. Officer Walraven issued the subject a ticket for taking river herring with a net within a tributary of the Hudson River, returnable to Wappinger Town Court.

 

Subject caught illegally netting river herring in Hudson River tributary in Dutchess County (photo attached)

 

Neighbor Gets Birds-Eye-View of Illegal Take - Oneida County

On May 11, ECO Hull received a report from a resident in Verona who claimed she had witnessed her neighbor shoot a blue heron from a shed behind his home. Officer Hull responded to the location and observed a .22 caliber rifle on the floor of the neighbor’s garage. The subject denied shooting anything and advised he was working in his basement when the alleged shot happened. ECO Hull took a quick canvass of the property and discovered a deceased blue heron next to a small pond and the subject’s shed, the same shed from which the complainant reported seeing the subject standing with the rifle. The Officer also observed an open box of bullets for a .22 caliber rifle inside the shed. The subject changed his story once confronted with the evidence and provided a full statement admitting that he killed the heron because he claimed the birds eat the frogs and fish in the pond and then leave the carcasses on the banks, leaving a mess. ECO Hull ticketed the subject for illegally taking protected wildlife, illegally taking a protected bird, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a residence. All tickets are returnable to the Town of Verona Court.  

 

Illegally taken blue heron discovered in Oneida County (photo attached)

 

Wayward Eagle - Washington County

The search for a bald eagle with an apparent injury to its wing has ended in Washington County. Local leaders and law enforcement had received calls from residents and rehabilitators for weeks regarding the eagle spotted at various locations around the county, with what appeared to be a droopy wing and difficulty flying. Each time someone attempted a capture it, the eagle escaped. ECO Kelley received a call about a bird that fit the description and responded to a resident’s yard in the town of Cambridge where he observed the eagle near a small pond unable to take flight. Officer Kelley safely captured the bird with the assistance of nearby residents and safely transported it to a rehabilitation facility for further treatment. The bird had leg bands identifying it as previously captured as a chick in Massachusetts in 2002.

 

ECO Kelley with injured eagle in Washington County (photo attached)

 

Injured Eagle Rescued – Livingston County

On May 13, ECO Farrand responded to a farm in the town of Lima after a report of an injured bald eagle. The farmer and property owner observed the eagle stumbling around on the ground, unable to fly, and contacted DEC. A regional wildlife technician responded with Officer Farrand and prepared the eagle for transport to Cornell University’s Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital for an evaluation of its injuries and treatment.

 

ECO Farrand with injured eagle, property owner Edwin Blodgett Sr., and his grandson, Roy (photo attached)

 

Fish Around and Find Trout – Nassau and Suffolk Counties

ECOs in DEC Region 1 recently assisted DEC Freshwater Fisheries employees with stocking trout to various freshwater and tidal locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. Stocking teams introduced more than 17,000 total trout to the waters this spring, with 9,230 rainbow trout and 8,246 brook trout stocked. DEC stocks fish multiple times a year across the state to boost recreational fishing opportunities and reestablish native species to previously occupied waters. There are 12 DEC fish hatcheries raising species such as rainbow trout, brook trout, chinook salmon, walleye, and more. Interested in stocking a private pond? Want more information on public stocking? Contact the local DEC Fisheries Office or email central office fwfish@dec.ny.gov.

 

ECO Anderson assists with trout stocking in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Illicit Donations – New York County

A consignment store chain manager recently contacted ECO Ableson after receiving several antiques made from the parts of endangered species. The endangered status of the species makes the items illegal to sell under both State and federal law. The store manager volunteered to surrender the objects to ECO Ableson and helped facilitate donation of the items to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for use as reference samples in their lab. The items include two jackets made from the fur of the colobus monkey, a taxidermized hawksbill sea turtle, and numerous articles made from elephant ivory - all unlawful to sell in New York State.

 

Lieutenant Levanway (Left) and ECO Ableson (Right) with surrendered items made from endangered species in New York County (photo attached)

 

Items made from endangered species surrendered and turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (photo attached)

 

Pesticide Patrols – Suffolk County

ECOs in Suffolk County encountered some repeat offenders during weeks-long pesticide patrols: 

• On April 11, ECOs received a complaint from a passerby about an individual power washing a semi-truck and trailer in the street in the town of Islip. ECO Cacciola responded to the location and observed a subject hooked up to a town fire hydrant, standing on top of his vehicle, and power washing the engine and body of the truck using a pump sprayer containing industrial strength cleaners to pre-soak the vehicle. Runoff from the power washing ended up in a storm drain, resulting in Officer Cacciola ticketing the subject for depositing a noisome substance on a highway, while Islip Town Fire Marshalls addressed the fire hydrant and runoff issues. ECO Cacciola instructed the subject to clean up the remaining debris in the roadway and dispose of it properly, but the Officer returned a few hours later to find the same debris moved to an adjacent private property. ECO Cacciola then issued an additional ticket to the subject for illegal disposal of solid waste.
• On April 29 and 30, ECO McGhee teamed up with DEC Region 1 Pesticides employees Cutrone and Hamdouchi to perform pesticide compliance inspections on several landscape maintenance businesses and registered pesticide applicator businesses on Long Island’s East End. They inspected more than a dozen businesses during the two-day detail and observed 12 violations including possession of pesticides not in original containers and not properly labeled, failure to register a pesticide business, and failure to display pesticide stickers on equipment, all returnable to Southampton Town Justice Court.
• On May 2, ECO Day and a Pesticide Control Specialist patrolled Manorville and Center Moriches to conduct compliance checks on landscaping businesses. They inspected 15 businesses and ticketed two for violating New York’s pesticide regulations, including operating an unregistered pesticide business, failure to display pesticide decals on a vehicle, and unlabeled backpack sprayers containing pesticides.
• On May 8, ECO Dickson and DEC Region 1 Pesticides employees observed a Babylon landscaping business inspected the previous year, finding several violations. Officer Dickson checked the business again and immediately observed a backpack sprayer without the proper chemical labeling. The ECO and Pesticides staff went on to find other violations including the lack of required placards on the vehicle transporting the chemicals and various containers not properly labeled. Officer Dickson issued more tickets to the company and then educated the owner and his worker about bringing the business into compliance with New York’s pesticide regulations.
• On May 11, ECO Dickson observed two individuals using a backpack sprayer without the appropriate labels on a residential lawn in Babylon Township. Officer Dickson also observed that the lawn was not properly flagged to indicate pesticides were applied to the property. The ECO interviewed the owner of the landscaping business and determined none of the applicators were licensed and the businesses failed to register with DEC. He issued six tickets to the owner of the company along with information for the company to begin DEC certification and registration. All tickets are returnable to Suffolk First District Court.
  

Chemicals enter a storm drain in the town of Islip, Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Unlabeled backpack sprayer discovered on May 8 in Babylon, Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Unmarked landscaping van discovered on May 11 in Babylon, Suffolk County (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).