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 the first half of 2025, DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement fielded an estimated 45,000 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 18,934 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 9,440 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

In 2024, the Division fielded more than 105,717 calls, resulting in 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.

“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.”

Criminal Justice Job Fair – New York County

On Oct. 15 and 16, ECOs Ableson, Toomey, and Lieutenant Levanway participated in the second annual “Career-Con” at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Manhattan campus, a multi-day event providing John Jay students with an opportunity to meet with law enforcement recruiters from across the nation. ECOs joined police departments from as far away as San Diego, Miami Beach, Texas, and more, to appeal to students interested in a career in law enforcement. The students got a unique look at the hands-on environmental justice work that ECOs perform daily in the New York City area and across the state. For more information on becoming an ECO, visit the DEC website.

ECOs participate in “Career-Con” at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan (photo attached)

Hunter Safety – Schoharie County

On Oct. 21, ECO Bohling and Lieutenant DeAngelis spoke to a group of 13 students attending a New York State Hunter Safety Course at the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill). The pair educated the potential future hunters about how to be safe, responsible, and ethical when afield; explained the importance of ECO hunter compliance checks, and shared some of the most common violations they encounter when checking hunters for compliance with New York’s hunting regulations. ECO Bohling and Lieutenant DeAngelis also stressed that most New York hunters comply with the State’s hunting regulations and often assist ECOs in catching violators. The course was led by DEC Region 4 employees Spring DeFranco, Ayla O’Donnel, and volunteer Santa Dibble. All 13 students passed the course, which means they received a certificate of qualification necessary for purchasing a first-time hunting license.

ECO Bohling, Lieutenant DeAngelis, and DEC employees participate in Hunter Education Course at SUNY Cobleskill (photo attached)

Baited Hunting Blind Patrols – Suffolk County

On Oct. 1, opening day for the regular bowhunting season for deer in Suffolk County, ECOs Cacciola, Day, and DeRose checked tree stands in an area known for baiting to ensure compliance with New York’s hunting regulations. During their patrol, the Officers observed three individuals in tree stands that were baited with corn. They escorted all three hunters out of the woods and ticketed them for hunting deer with the aid of bait. All tickets are returnable to Suffolk County First District Court.  

11^th Annual Finger Lakes Regional Youth Deer Hunt – Seneca County

During Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day weekend (Oct. 11-13), ECOs assisted young hunters at the 11^th Annual Finger Lakes Regional Youth Deer Hunt at Deer Haven Park, LLC, a former munition storage facility turned ecological park in the town of Romulus, Seneca County. Twenty-seven youth hunters, joined by their parents and mentors, attended this year’s event after a mandatory pre-hunt dinner and instructional shooting range session where the young hunters reviewed firearm safety and hunter ethics. Firearms instructors from DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement led the training and were assisted by volunteer hunter education instructors and DEC Wildlife employees. During the hunt, the youth deer hunters, parents, and mentors scattered in different locations throughout the 4,000-acre property. Twenty-five youth hunters harvested a deer over the course of the weekend.

Thanks to a generous landowner, ECOs, DEC employees, volunteers, and sponsors, this year’s event was an overwhelming success.

Youth hunters and volunteers attend 11^th Annual Finger Lakes Regional Youth Deer Hunt in Seneca County (photo attached)

Trunk or Treat – Schoharie County

On Oct. 19, ECO Bohling participated in a “Trunk-or-Treat” candy giveaway at Twist’N Flip Gymnastics in the town of Cobleskill. The community event was open to children of all ages and included more than 25 businesses and community members that decorated their vehicles and handed out candy to the children. ECO Bohling turned her patrol vehicle into a “hunting camp” complete with fur, deer skulls, and camping gear for the fun event.

ECO Bohling participates in Trunk-or-Treat event in Schoharie County (photo attached)

Central Park Fish Survey – New York County

On Oct. 21, ECOs Ableson, Toomey, and Lieutenant Levanway joined DEC Fisheries and Central Park Conservancy employees for a scientific electrofishing survey of fish that inhabit waterbodies in Manhattan’s Central Park. Six-hundred-and-five fish including largemouth bass, black crappies, bluegill, and pumpkinseed sunfish were netted from lakes within the park, measured, weighed, and aged for analysis before being safely released back into the water. DEC uses this data to monitor the health, species abundance, presence/absence of fish species, and population trends of fish over time.

DEC Region 2 Natural Resources Supervisor Melissa Cohen participates in fish survey in Manhattan’s Central Park (photo attached)

St. Joseph’s University Career Fair – Suffolk County

On Oct. 23, ECOs Anderson and Francis participated in the annual St. Joseph’s University Career Fair. The Officers spoke to interested college students about the role ECOs play in protecting the public and natural resources of New York State by enforcing the State’s Environmental Conservation Law. They also outlined the criteria to become an ECO, including applicants being at least 21 years of age by the date of appointment and the fact that there is no maximum age limit to join DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement. DEC is actively looking for reliable, self-motivated, and dedicated individuals to become future environmental protectors of New York State. St. Joseph’s University is a private Catholic university with campuses in Brooklyn and on Long Island.

ECO Anderson speaks to a student at St. Joseph’s University in Suffolk County (photo attached)

South Shore Waterfowlers Boat Show – Suffolk County

On Oct. 25, ECOs Anderson and Giarratana participated in the 45^th Annual Duck Boat Show and Waterfowl Festival at the Cedar Beach Marina in the town of Babylon, presented by the South Shore Waterfowlers Association. The event, which promotes and celebrates the rich tradition of waterfowl hunting on Long Island, featured activities including a duck boat contest, dog dock jumping, and raffles. ECOs answered questions from the public about New York State’s Conservation Law, recent regulatory changes, and potential DEC law enforcement career opportunities.

ECOs Anderson and Giarratana attend the 45^th Annual Duck Boat Show and Waterfowl Festival in Suffolk County (photo attached)

Illegal Take – Suffolk County

On Oct. 26, ECO DeVito responded to a complaint about an individual hunting at Wildwood State Park in the town of Riverhead, a park managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Officers DeVito and Vandenbos met a New York State Park Police Officer at the location and confronted a subject already stopped by Park employees. They determined the subject trespassed on the property and illegally harvested an antlered whitetail deer earlier that morning. Wildwood State Park was not open for hunting until Nov. 1. ECO DeVito confiscated the deer as evidence and ticketed the subject for the illegal take of whitetail deer, failure to possess a paper or electronic carcass tag, and failure to immediately tag a carcass. All tickets are returnable to Riverhead Justice Court.

Fishing Compliance Checks – Long Island and Orange County

Too early, undersized, and over the limit are just some of the violations ECOs encountered during recent fishing compliance checks on Long Island and in Orange County. Here are some of the more notable cases: 

• On Oct. 10, ECOs McGhee and Simmons performed numerous recreational fishing compliance checks on vessels in New York waters in and around Long Island, specifically Plum and Fishers Islands. The Officers boarded several boats and observed anglers with tautog (blackfish) on board. The season for catching blackfish in the Long Island Sound region opened the next day, on Oct. 11, with a minimum size limit of 16 inches and possession limit of four fish per person. While the blackfish season in nearby Connecticut opened on the day of this patrol, boats fishing in New York waters are required to follow New York’s rules and regulations. ECOs McGhee and Simmons ticketed several anglers for taking black fish out of season, returnable to Southold Town Justice Court. For more information on New York’s recreational saltwater fishing regulations, visit the DEC website. 

• On Oct. 11, ECO DeRose patrolled the south shore of Suffolk County along the shoreline of Robert Moses State Park in an area along the Atlantic Coast known as the New York Bight, extending from the southern tip of Cape May, New Jersey, to the southeastern coast of Long Island. Opening season for tautog (blackfish) in that area is Oct. 15 to Dec. 22. Officer DeRose observed two groups catching multiple blackfish and failing to return them to the waters of the state. While dealing with the first group, ECO DeRose observed a member of the second group attempting to leave the area with a backpack cooler, ignoring commands to stop. Officer DeRose caught up with the angler in a nearby parking lot, checked his catch, and found the subject in possession of nine out-of-season blackfish. Additionally, another angler in the subjects’ fishing party possessed an undersized black sea bass. ECO DeRose ticketed all anglers for taking/possessing blackfish out of season and issued an additional ticket to one angler for the undersized black sea bass. The angler who tried to flee also received an additional ticket for failure to obey a lawful order of an Environmental Conservation Police Officer. For more information on New York’s recreational saltwater fishing regulations, visit the DEC website. 

• On Oct. 16, ECOs Della Rocco, DeVito, and Simmons participated in a joint boat patrol with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Officer Lepre focused on commercial fishing boats in Suffolk County. The team boarded several vessels during their fishing compliance checks and discovered violations on one boat headed to a dock to sell fish commercially. The vessel contained multiple untagged striped bass. The team escorted the boat back to the dock to properly count and document the illegal fish. Officers counted a total of 247 striped bass, with only 112 of them tagged legally. One hundred and thirty-five striped bass were untagged in violation of law. ECOs ticketed the anglers on board for commercial possession of untagged striped bass, returnable to Southampton Town Justice Court. 

• On Oct. 19, ECO Steffen conducted fishing compliance checks on two individuals fishing in the Ramapo River in the town of Tuxedo, Orange County. Officer Steffen observed the anglers in possession of multiple fish species including yellow perch, sunfish, redhorse sucker, and largemouth bass. The haul contained 13 undersized largemouth bass ranging in size from seven to 10 inches. The possession and size limit for largemouth bass in New York State is five fish over 12 inches. All the undersized bass were released back to the waters of the state and ECO Steffen issued five tickets to the anglers for possession of undersized fish, over the limit of fish, and fishing without a license. 

• On Oct. 25, ECO Dickerson responded to a complaint about four individuals keeping undersized tautog (blackfish) and storing them in a vehicle at Shinnecock Inlet in Southampton, Suffolk County. Officer Dickerson and Southampton Town Marine Patrol arrived and observed a group fishing near the vehicle matching the complaint’s description. Officers conducted a marine fishing compliance check, identified the registered owner of the vehicle, and inquired about the group’s catches. The vehicle owner denied that they had caught any fish and opened the trunk revealing three empty coolers. Recalling that the complainant reported the group hiding the fish inside the vehicle and after observing a fish tail sticking out of a plastic bag near the driver’s seat, the Officers asked the owner to open all vehicle doors. The owner complied and the Officers located 14 blackfish stuffed underneath the driver, passenger, and back seats of the vehicle. Twelve of the 14 fish discovered were shorter than the legal-size limit. The Officers ticketed the owner of the vehicle for possession of undersized blackfish and exceeding the possession limit. For more information on New York’s recreational saltwater fishing regulations, visit the DEC website. 

Blackfish taken out of season in the Long Island Sound region (photo attached)

Blackfish taken out of season in New York Bight, Suffolk County (photo attached)

Untagged commercial striped bass discovered in Suffolk County (photo attached)

Undersized largemouth bass discovered in Orange County (photo attached)

Undersized and over the limit of blackfish discovered in Suffolk County (photo attached)