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.”

 

Early Deer Take – Sullivan County 

In September, ECOs in Orange and Sullivan counties responded to reports of a potential illegal deer take in the town of Rockland. Officers arrived at the location and observed a recently washed Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) and several buzzards flying in the area where the deer had been reportedly taken. The ECOs also discovered a feeder filled with corn strapped to a nearby tree. ECOs interviewed the alleged subject who said he was hunting bears but eventually confessed to shooting an eight-point buck with his rifle while walking back from his tree stand. ECOs charged the individual with taking deer out of season, hunting deer and bear over a pre-established bait pile, discharging a gun within 500 feet of a dwelling, and trespass in accordance with Environmental Conservation Law, all returnable to the Town of Rockland Court. Big game season in New York began on Oct. 1 for bowhunting; the regular big game rifle season begins Nov. 16. 

 

Youth Hunt – St. Lawrence County

On Sept. 28, ECOs in St. Lawrence County partnered with the Borderline Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and DEC Wildlife employees to host a youth waterfowl and pheasant hunt at the Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area in the town of Louisville. Mentors, parents, and volunteers assisted in educating 12- to 15-year-old hunters about New York’s hunting regulations before heading afield to test their skills. The youth hunt was free thanks to the generosity and donations from the New York Conservation Officers Association, St. Lawrence County Federated Sportsmen, and Potsdam Elks Club, along with some local and national retail firearms companies. Volunteer mentors included Lieutenant Basford and ECOs Ryan, Atwood, Schneller, and Helmer, among others. Several youth hunters successfully harvested birds during the event. All youth hunters are required to take New York’s Hunter Education Course, obtain a valid hunting license, and attend an additional safety training course before participating in a hunt.

 

Youth hunters, ECOs, mentors, and volunteers attend youth waterfowl and pheasant hunt in St. Lawrence County (photo attached)

 

Youth hunters show off harvests during youth waterfowl and pheasant hunt in St. Lawrence County (photo attached)

 

Career-Con – New York County 

During the first week of October, ECOs in DEC Region 2 participated in the first-ever “Career-Con,” organized by John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. The multi-day event allows students to meet and communicate with law enforcement recruiters from across the country. ECOs joined police departments from California, Florida, and Texas as they sought to recruit criminal justice students approaching graduation, with a specific emphasis on environmental justice. 

 

ECO Pansini, member of DEC’s New York City Marine Enforcement Unit, addresses students at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan (photo attached)

 

Deceased Minke Whale – Richmond County

On Oct. 4, ECOs from DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement Marine Enforcement Unit responded to reports of a whale carcass floating in the vicinity of Raritan Bay off Staten Island. ECOs Pansini and Kortz located the carcass, identified it as a deceased minke whale, and relayed pertinent information about its length, condition, and drift data to various local and federal agencies monitoring the carcass. The Officers also affixed a GPS tracker to the minke whale carcass, allowing it to be tracked in real time via satellite.

 

The whale made landfall on Rockaway Beach near Fort Tilden the following morning and U.S. Park Police and ECO Veloski monitored the carcass until a team from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society arrived to conduct a necropsy. Despite the poor condition of the carcass, experts found signs of an infectious disease.

 

While not considered threatened or endangered, North Atlantic populations of minke whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are currently experiencing an Unusual Mortality Event along the Atlantic coast. DEC urges the public to report marine mammal stranding events to the New York State Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline at (631) 369-9829.

 

ECO Pansini affixes GPS tracking device to minke whale discovered deceased in the vicinity of Raritan Bay, Richmond County (photo attached)

Backcountry Patrols – Adirondack Forest Preserve

On Oct. 4, ECOs LaPoint and Traynor patrolled remote stretches of the Adirondack Forest Preserve in Hamilton County focused on fishing and Navigation Law violations in New York’s backcountry. The Officers issued two written tickets--one for insufficient personal flotation devices and another for failure to carry a fishing license. The ECOs used various vessels, vehicles, and methods to ensure compliance with New York’s Environmental Conservation Law even in the farthest reaches of the Adirondacks. 

 

ECO LaPoint patrols remote stretches of the Adirondack Forest Preserve (photo attached)

 

Kids Day Gets Loony – Hamilton County

On Oct. 5, Lieutenant Higgins and ECO Traynor attended “Kids Day” in the town of Inlet, that included a fishing derby during which Officers helped children catch sunfish, perch, and bass on Fifth Lake. Those who caught the biggest fish went on to win prizes later in the day. 

 

After the derby, the ECOs judged the first annual “Kids Day” loon calling contest. The third judge, Gary Lee from the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation, started off the contest by demonstrating several different loon calls. Sixteen brave students then stood up and showed off their best loon calls. Three winners were presented a plaque for their amazing calling efforts. 

 

ECO Traynor (left) and Lieutenant Higgins (right) attend “Kids Day” fishing derby in Hamilton County (photo attached)

 

Felony Timber Theft – Otsego County 

On Oct. 7, 2024, the owner of a logging company in Otsego County pleaded guilty to felony attempted grand larceny and paid restitution for logging thefts committed last year. 

 

On June 27, 2023, ECO Vencak received a call from an elderly woman who reported someone had logged her property six months prior and failed to pay her or her husband for the trees cut and collected. Officer Vencak detailed the alleged theft in a written deposition and called in DEC Forester Van Der Veur to conduct a stumpage estimate on the potential value of the harvested trees. ECO Vencak also met with an Investigator from the Otsego County District Attorney’s Office; the District Attorney utilized a subpoena to obtain receipts from the mill that purchased the logs and other bank records.  

 

On Oct. 6, 2023, ECOs arrested the logger and released him with an appearance ticket. 

The defendant pleaded guilty to attempted third degree grand larceny (E Felony) in Otsego County Court and paid restitution to the landowners in the amount of $7,993. 

 

Cormorant Hooked – Suffolk County

On Oct. 10, ECO Dickson received a complaint from a motorist at Robert Moses State Park on Long Island about an injured cormorant tangled in fishing line on the side of the causeway. Officer Dickson arrived at the location, safely captured the bird, and began working to free it from the fishing line tangled around its body. The ECO managed to free the bird’s feet and wings but discovered it had swallowed a fishing hook. Officer Dickson then transported the cormorant to a local veterinary clinic for further medical assistance.

 

ECO Dickson with cormorant discovered tangled in fishing line at Robert Moses State Park in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Statewide Fishing Compliance Checks – Suffolk/Nassau Counties

A party boat busted and illegal activity on the way to a party top this week’s fishing compliance checks: 

• On Oct. 10, ECOs Giarratana, Hilton, and Kochanowski conducted a compliance check on an anchored party boat on Long Island’s south shore. As Officers approached the vessel, individuals on board began dumping undersized black sea bass back into the water. They continued discarding the fish despite commands from ECOs to stop. Once on board, Officers recovered 21 undersized black sea bass and observed multiple violations including an incomplete vessel trip report, failure to release without undue harm, and dumping upon signal to stop. Five passengers and the boat captain received tickets, returnable to Nassau First District Court.
  

• On Oct. 12, ECO Dickson patrolled Oyster Bay in Nassau County and observed two individuals fishing off the Welwyn Preserve jetty. The Officer witnessed the subjects catch blackfish, place them in bags, and put the fish in coolers. Officer Dickson approached the anglers as they left the area and observed one subject warn the other about the ECO’s The second subject then ducked behind a wall and began tossing fish into the rocks, ignoring commands to stop. ECO Brussell arrived to provide backup and the Officers searched the rocks and discovered four undersized blackfish. Both anglers received tickets for possession of undersized blackfish. When questioned, the subjects told the ECOs they had to catch fish for a big party they were attending. 
  

• On Oct. 13, ECOs Pabes and Kochanowski observed two anglers fishing under the Second Wantagh Bridge in Nassau County prior to the opening of tautog (blackfish) season on 15. During their surveillance, the Officers observed one of the anglers leave their fishing location to retrieve his vehicle from the Green Island parking lot, while the other angler stayed behind. ECO Pabes checked the first angler and found no fish in his possession while ECO Kochanowski observed the second angler walk a black duffle bag from under the bridge to hide it along the heavily vegetated bike path. Officers detained the anglers while they searched for the bag but released them after not initially finding it. Officers eventually located the bag when the individuals were approximately 150 feet away and called after the duo to stop. The anglers ignored those commands and took off running into some thick vegetation off the bike path as the ECOs followed. Officer Pabes located one subject hiding in the reeds and detained him. The black bag contained 19 tautog out of season and five undersized black sea bass. ECOs ticketed the subject for possession of out of season tautog, possession of undersized black sea bass, failing to release fish without undue harm, and failure to comply with a lawful order from an Environmental Conservation Police Officer. The first angler failed to return to pick up his friend. 
  

• On Oct. 16, ECOs Dickson and Kochanowski observed two individuals fileting fish near a dock while patrolling Tanner Park in Babylon, Suffolk County. Officers interviewed the anglers who admitted to targeting blackfish and sea When asked to present the carcasses, the individuals explained they threw them back into the water. The ECOs began counting the filets and observed more than the legal limit of four per person. The Officers then contacted the Babylon Town Harbor Master who brought a net to assist their efforts. Officer Kochanowski retrieved 12 blackfish carcasses and one sea bass carcass from the marine bottom. All the fish were under regulation size. ECOs issued tickets to the anglers for the undersized fish and educated them on New York’s fishing regulations.
  

ECOs conduct compliance check on anchored vessel on Long Island’s South Shore (photo attached)

 

Undersized black sea bass seized from party boat on Long Island’s South Shore
(photo attached)

 

Angler retrieves undersized fish hidden in rocks in Oyster Bay, Nassau County
(photo attached)

 

Undersized blackfish found hidden in rocks in Oyster Bay (photo attached)

 

Illegal tautog (blackfish) seized near the Second Wantagh Bridge (photo attached)

 

ECO Kochanowski retrieves carcasses of blackfish caught illegally at Tanner Park (photo attached)

 

New York Women in Law Enforcement – Lake Placid

From Oct. 16 to 18, DEC Division of Law Enforcement (DLE) Director Karen Przyklek attended the annual New York Women in Law Enforcement training conference in Lake Placid along with other members of DLE. Hundreds of law enforcement officers across the state attend the event to network and gain knowledge about current laws and trends and to develop leadership skills to help strengthen police forces. The DEC DLE pipe and drum band participated in the opening ceremonies.

 

DLE Director Karen Przyklek with the Division’s pipe and drum band at New York Women in Law Enforcement event, Lake Placid (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).