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.

“Whether solving environmental crimes, safeguarding New York’s natural resources and wildlife, or connecting with communities and inspiring the next generation of conservationists, Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Investigators have an historic legacy of protecting New York’s air, land, water, and public safety every day and in every corner of the state,” DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. “I am proud of their tireless efforts to enforce New York’s stringent Environmental Conservation Law by holding polluters accountable and promoting the safe, sustainable, and responsible use of the great outdoors, and encourage all New Yorkers interested in joining our ranks to learn how to become the next Environmental Conservation Police Officers.”

K9 Catches Alleged Trespasser – Suffolk County

On Oct. 21, 2024, ECO DeRose responded to a call from Riverhead Police about a hunter trespassing on posted property in the town. Officer DeRose deployed his partner, K9 KI (pronounced Kai), to track the alleged trespasser. K9 KI entered the woods and alerted ECO DeRose to a hunter in a nearby tree. The Officer determined the subject did not have permission to hunt at the location and a subsequent check of the hunter’s equipment revealed he possessed barbed broadheads, which are illegal for hunting big game in New York. ECO DeRose ticketed the subject for trespassing and hunting with barbed broadheads and K9 KI received his favorite ball and a belly rub as a reward for his good work.

K9 KI assists with tracking alleged trespasser in Suffolk County (photo attached)

Illegal Hunting Enforcement – Greene County

From illegal baiting to using a family member’s tag to hide an illegal take, here are some of the violations ECOs in Greene County encountered during the most recent deer hunting season:  

• On Nov. 14, 2024, ECO Palmateer and Investigator Sulkey responded to a trespassing complaint in the town of Prattsville from the property’s caretaker who reported finding unauthorized hunting equipment and a hunting blind. The caretaker also reported encountering a subject dressed in hunting attire and carrying a cocked crossbow. ECO Palmateer interviewed the subject who admitted shooting at a seven-point buck with his crossbow and attempting to track the animal when he encountered the caretaker. ECO Palmateer and Investigator Sulkey discovered additional evidence at the hunting blind, including a loaded .22 caliber rifle. When asked why he had the firearm in the blind, the subject advised it was for hunting coyotes. Officers explained to the subject that it is illegal to carry a firearm while hunting during a special bow or muzzleloader season. The subject failed to possess a hunting license, tags, or muzzleloader privilege, which are required for hunting with a crossbow during the special season. ECO Palmateer ticketed the subject for failing to carry a license and tags afield, crossbow hunting during a special season without proper privilege, illegal pursuit of protected species (all violations), and possessing a firearm during bow/crossbow hunting (misdemeanor). The tickets are returnable to the Town of Prattsville Court. 
  

• On Nov. 17, 2024, ECO Palmateer ticketed two subjects in connection with the illegal baiting and taking of deer. The investigation began on Oct. 21, 2024, when Officer Palmateer received reports of a deceased seven-point buck in the town of Cairo. The ECO and Investigator Sulkey responded to the location, discovered the buck with an arrow in its abdomen, and observed an elevated hunting blind baited with salt lick on the adjoining property. Several weeks later, on Nov. 17, Officer Palmateer observed a hunter in the elevated blind, baited with salt lick and corn, and interviewed the subject about the deer taken illegally in October. The subject advised another hunter had killed the deer and transported the carcass to the town of Durham. Lieutenant Glorioso immediately patrolled to Durham to follow up on the information and located the deceased buck in question. ECO Palmateer ticketed the first subject for hunting deer with the aid of pre-established bait, placing a salt lick on lands inhabited by deer, and failing to carry license/tags while afield. Officer Palmateer then joined Lieutenant Glorioso in Durham and the Officers interviewed the second subject who admitted to shooting the seven-point buck from the baited blind on Oct. 20, 2024. ECO Palmateer seized the deer and ticketed the second subject for hunting with the aid of bait, failing to report harvest within seven days, and illegally taking white-tailed deer. All tickets are returnable to the Town of Cairo Court. 
  

• On Nov. 23, 2024, ECOs Smith and Palmateer responded to a trespassing report in the town of Coxsackie from a complainant assisting ECOs during bow and gun season with addressing alleged trespassing on the property. On that date, the complainant had received a photograph from a trail camera showing an individual dressed in hunting attire walking onto the property. The ECOs witnessed two subjects load up a harvested doe before transporting the carcass towards another property. The Officers stopped the subjects and accompanied them back to their hunting camp where a third individual was located. That third individual attempted to hide a second deceased doe behind the camp as the Officers approached. ECOs seized the two deer and ticketed the two initial subjects with violations after both admitted to shooting the animals. One subject received tickets for hunting without a license and illegally taking a white-tailed deer. The second was ticketed for taking an antlerless deer without a Deer Management Permit, as required by law, and failure to carry license and tags afield. All tickets are returnable to the Town of Coxsackie Court. 
  

• On Dec. 7, 2024, ECO Palmateer investigated a complaint of unlawful deer feeding at a hunting camp in the town of Prattsville. Officer Palmateer was familiar with the location as had driven by it multiple times and witnessed deer feeding at a particular location behind the camp. The ECO arrived at the location, observed a freshly disturbed area in the snow at the known feeding area and drops of blood in the snow around the hunting camp. The property owner admitted to placing corn to feed deer and shooting a buck at the location the previous afternoon. The subject revealed that the deer carcass was at a butcher shop in the town of Catskill. Lieutenant Glorioso headed to the shop in Catskill at the request of ECO Palmateer to follow up on the information while Officer Palmateer continued the interview. The subject went on to reveal the buck he shot over bait was his second buck of the rifle season. Hunters are only permitted to take one buck during the big game regular season. The subject advised he had put his daughter’s carcass tag on the second animal. Lieutenant Glorioso confirmed the story after locating both bucks at the butcher shop – one with the subject’s tag and one with the daughter’s tag. ECO Palmateer ticketed the subject for using tags of another, taking over the limit of white-tailed deer, hunting with the aid of pre-established bait, and illegally taking a white-tailed deer. All tickets are returnable to the Town of Prattsville Court. ECOs seized the second deer and donated it to the Venison Donation Program through a local butcher shop. 
  

• On Dec. 19, 2024, ECO Smith responded to reports of a baited tree stand in the town of Windham. Officer Smith hiked to the area in darkness where he located and photographed the tree stand and observed a pile of corn, mineral blocks, and remnants of a harvested deer nearby. The ECO secured the evidence and interviewed the suspected hunter who admitted to harvesting an eight-point buck from the stand on Nov. 27, 2024. Officer Smith seized the deer as evidence and charged the subject with illegally taking a white-tailed deer, hunting white-tailed deer over pre-established bait, and failure to report a harvest. The tickets are returnable to the Town of Windham Court.
   

Little Red Bag – Kings County

On Dec. 1, 2024, ECOs Rappold and Swart conducted undercover patrols at known fishing locations in Brooklyn focused on fishing compliance. The Officers stopped at a popular striped bass fishing location in Gravesend along the Belt Parkway bike path early in the day and pretended to take in the view of neighboring Staten Island. ECO Swart observed a subject catch an undersized striped bass within minutes and place it in a red bag tied to a tree about 25 yards from the individual’s fishing location. ECOs ticketed the subject for the offense and the defendant paid $375 in fines and court surcharges.  

Not Your Average Christmas Mittens – Queens County

On Dec. 25, 2024, ECO Kortz received a call from U.S. Customs Officers at John F. Kennedy Airport regarding a passenger illegally importing 38 invasive mitten crabs and 750 untagged blood clams. Officer Kortz ticketed the subject for possession of untagged shellfish, importing shellfish from uncertified waters, and unlawful possession of mitten crabs. ECOs seized the clams and crabs for proper disposal. Mitten crabs are illegal to possess in New York State due to the potential harm they pose to the environment and public health. Blood clams are legal to possess in New York but required to be properly tagged and harvested from waters certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

Illegal mitten crabs and untagged blood clams seized from JFK Airport (photo attached)

Dad Made Me Do It – Suffolk County

On Jan. 5, ECOs utilized a deer decoy to conduct a detail in Brookhaven Township in response to reports of individuals hunting deer from roadways. ECOs Paschke and Holliday observed a vehicle stop in the roadway and watch the decoy before the vehicle’s rear passenger exited the vehicle, raised his firearm, and shot the decoy from the roadway. ECOs approached the vehicle and interviewed the occupants. During the interview, the Officers learned the driver (father) instructed the shooter (son) to load the gun inside the vehicle, step out into the roadway, and shoot what they believed to be a real deer. ECOs seized the firearm as evidence and charged the driver and passenger with discharging a firearm from a public roadway, possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, and failure to wear hunter orange while hunting with a firearm. The case is being handled administratively by DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement.

Deer decoy used in DEC Division of Law Enforcement hunting detail in Suffolk County (photo attached)

Sunken Boat Causes Spill – Suffolk County

On Jan. 5, ECOs Berketis and Dickson responded to reports of a boat sinking in Lindenhurst and leaking fuel into a canal. The Officers arrived at the location and observed fuel and oil along the shore and surface of the water as petroleum leaked from the submerged vessel. DEC spill response personnel responded to the location to facilitate the cleanup and removal of the sunken vessel while ECOs and Town of Babylon Bay Constables ensured public safety. The response was turned over to DEC Spill Response experts and the U.S. Coast Guard to further handle the petroleum contamination and complete cleanup.

ECOs Dickson and Berketis respond to spill incident in 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).