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.”

 

Hazardous Waste Checks – Otsego County

On July 21, ECO Fetterman conducted patrols in Otsego County focused on hazardous waste and petroleum spill violations at automobile repair shops. Officer Fetterman observed a total of 15 violations at four facilities including failure to report spills, failure to label waste oil tanks, failure to maintain tanks in working condition, failure to keep required records, operating an unregistered contamination source, improper storage of lead-acid batteries, and lack of required signage of the acceptance of batteries and waste oil. DEC is handling violations administratively.

 

Osprey Rescue – Suffolk County

On July 30, ECO Perkins responded to the Bay Shore Marina in Suffolk County for a report of an injured osprey observed in a parking lot for hours. Officer Perkins arrived and discovered the bird moving slowly and unable to fly. The ECO carefully and successfully captured the osprey and transported it to a local rehabilitator for further treatment. DEC checked in with the rehabber and learned that the osprey is continuing to improve at the local rehab facility and will soon be ready for release back into the wild.

 

ECO Perkins with distressed osprey discovered in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Annual Sunshine Fair – Schoharie County

In early August, ECOs Bohling and Burgess attended the annual Sunshine Fair in the village of Cobleskill. The Officers represented DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement with an eye-catching display table featuring a variety of informational items that attracted interest from fairgoers throughout the week. The ECOs engaged with visitors and answered hundreds of questions on topics ranging from New York’s hunting regulations to the process of becoming an ECO and their work to protect New Yorkers and our natural resources.

 

The first step to becoming an ECO is taking the entry-level law enforcement civil service exam. Qualified candidates can apply online through Sept. 17, 2025, to take the exam. There is no cost as all State exam application fees are waived through December 2027. The exam is scheduled to be held in November.

ECOs Bohling (left) and Burgess (right) attend Annual Sunshine Fair in Schoharie County (photo attached)

 

Illegal Dumping – Chautauqua County

On Aug. 7, ECOs Kinney and Koepf received a report that a large bag of trash had been dumped in a roadside ditch in the town of Arkwright. The complainant sorted through the garbage, found a receipt from a campground in Ohio, and provided ECOs with a name. The Officers contacted the individual identified by the receipt and the subject denied illegally dumping anything, stating that he lives in Michigan and has no ties to New York. 

 

The complainant called ECOs back a short time later and reported finding a pay stub in the garbage bag for the same subject. The company that issued the pay stub was repairing a break wall in the city of Dunkirk, Chautauqua County. 

 

Later that day, ECOs were on a routine boat patrol on Lake Erie near Dunkirk, just a few hundred yards from active work on the break wall. The Officers contacted the subject and asked him again if he had been working in Dunkirk. The subject finally admitted that he had been working in the city and temporarily living in the area.

 

ECOs docked at the construction barge, reinterviewed the subject, and issued three tickets for the illegal dumping of solid waste.  

 

Abandoned Alligator – Nassau County

On Aug. 7, ECO Franz responded to a report of an alligator in a freshwater pond at Cow Meadow Preserve in the village of Freeport on Long Island. The caller, a local birdwatcher, provided Officers with a clear photo of the juvenile gator and remained at the location until ECOs arrived. ECOs Franz, Pabes, and Lieutenant Amato arrived at the location with a canoe, safely captured the reptile in the pond, and transported it to a local rehabilitator licensed to care for alligators. The juvenile gator remains at the rehabilitation facility awaiting permanent relocation.

 

In New York State, it is unlawful to import, possess, or sell any alligator, caiman, or crocodile, parts thereof, and products made from those animals without the proper DEC permits. An investigation is currently underway to locate the person or persons that unlawfully released the animal.

 

ECOs Franz (right) and Pabes (left) with an abandoned juvenile alligator discovered in Nassau County (photo attached)

 

Rattlesnake Relocation – Ulster County

On the evening of Aug. 12, ECO Walraven responded to a homeowner concerned about a timber rattlesnake on their porch in the town of Wawarsing. The caller reported the venomous snake was blocking the home’s sole exit. Officer Walraven arrived at the location and discovered the snake under the porch, feasting on a rabbit. The ECO safely relocated the snake and its meal to the back of the property, away from the residence.

 

Timber rattlesnake discovered outside Ulster County residence (photo attached)

 

Disabled Vessel – Suffolk County

On Aug. 13, ECOs Della Rocco, DeVito, and Simmons assisted a disabled vessel taking on water in the Peconic Bay in Southampton, Suffolk County. The stern of the vessel was partially submerged and sinking in 30 feet of water when the Officers arrived. The ECOs provided the boat captain with a life jacket, helped him safely board their boat, and relayed the information to the U.S. Coast Guard for additional assistance. The Coast Guard arrived with a pump and began pumping out the vessel along with Sea Tow, a company that employs vessels to tow/pump out disabled boats. Sea Tow then towed the boat to shallow water, escorted by Southampton and Southold marine patrols. The disabled vessel was eventually transported to a nearby marina. The captain was the only individual on board the sinking boat and was not harmed during the incident.  

 

For additional information regarding boating safety, personal floatation devices (PFD’s), and required safety equipment please visit: https://parks.ny.gov/boating/

 

ECOs assist disabled vessel in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Oily Ducks – Suffolk County

On Aug. 24, ECO DeRose received a report of a possible spill in the town of Babylon that had polluted a creek and impacted a family of mallard ducks. Officer DeRose responded to the residence adjacent the creek and observed a hen mallard and two ducklings that appeared to be discolored due to the apparent spill. ECO DeRose managed to successfully wrangle the ducks with assistance from the homeowner, observed what appeared to be a petroleum product on the birds, and contacted Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, which agreed to meet the Officer and help the duck family. ECO DeRose and two Nature Center employees repeatedly washed the three ducks and observed significant improvements. All three birds regained some of their natural color and consumed healthy portions of duck feed. The source of the apparent spill has not yet been identified but DEC Spills experts and town of Babylon officials are investigating the incident in hopes of finding the person or persons responsible. The ducks remain at Sweetbriar Nature Center where they will continue to receive treatment until they are ready for release back to the wild.

 

VIDEO of ECO DeRose assisting in the washing of the ducks can be viewed here:  https://youtube.com/shorts/-4JSYoBTQNQ?feature=share

 

ECO DeRose with mallard ducks rescued from Suffolk County creek impacted by spill (photo attached)

 

Mallard ducklings given a bath after being impacted by spill in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Mallard duck and ducklings rest up after much-needed bath at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

ECO Fishing Compliance Checks – Statewide

Short porgies, a repeat offender, and an admitted cast netter top this week’s list of anglers ticketed during statewide ECO fishing compliance checks: 

• On Aug. 1, ECOs Ruffle and Smith issued 19 tickets to nine people during night patrols along the south shore of Nassau and Suffolk counties. Tickets were issued to anglers for violations including lack of marine registration, possession of undersized fish, failure to release without undue harm, taking food fish by net without a license, possession of undersized blue claw crabs, and possession of blue claw crabs in spawn (egg-bearing crabs).  

• During the overnight hours of Aug. 2 and 3, ECO Day recognized a familiar vehicle and trailer during a boat patrol focused on marine fishing in Port Jefferson, Suffolk County. The vehicle and trailer belong to an individual ticketed in the same area in August 2024. The boat docked at approximately 12:30 a.m. with five people on board, including the previously ticketed captain. The group possessed 81 porgies, 48 of which were shorter than the minimum size of 11 inches. Officer Day issued tickets to each angler for possession of undersized porgy. 

• On Aug. 11, ECO DeVito conducted multiple blue claw crab compliance checks in Southampton, Suffolk County. During one inspection, Officer DeVito discovered an individual in possession of a tote and a bucket full of blue claw crabs. DeVito called ECO Della Rocco for assistance with counting and sorting the crabs by size and the Officers counted 251 blue claw crabs, 114 of which were under the legal-size limit of a four-and-a-half-inch carapace width. The ECOs ticketed the individual for being over the legal daily possession limit (50 per person) and undersized blue claw crabs. The tickets are returnable to Southampton Town Justice Court. 

• On Aug. 17, ECOs Cacciola, Francis, and Ruffle inspected a vessel with anglers on board during a routine boat patrol on Long Island Sound. The Officers discovered 47 porgies under the minimum size of 11 inches when taken from a vessel during their inspection. The three subjects were allowed to keep five legal-size porgies and approximately a dozen unregulated fish they caught, but each received a ticket for possessing the remaining undersized porgies. The ECOs issued a few more tickets throughout the day and discovered more than 70 undersized porgies and an undersized black sea bass.   

• On Aug. 17, ECO Parker observed an angler using a cast net to catch fish on Lake Huntington in Sullivan County. Officer Parker approached the angler, who admitted to using the net, and discovered three fish in a nearby bucket, one of which was an undersized bass measuring just three inches. ECO Paker issued tickets to the angler for fishing without a freshwater fishing license, taking fish by means other than angling, and taking undersized fish. All the fish were still alive and returned to the lake unharmed.  

Illegal marine life confiscated during night-time patrols in Nassau and Suffolk counties (photo attached)

 

Undersized porgies confiscated during fishing compliance patrol in Port Jefferson, Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Undersized blue claw crabs confiscated during a fishing compliance check in Southampton, Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

ECO Francis with undersized porgies confiscated during a boat patrol in the Long Island Sound (photo attached)

 

Undersized fish confiscated during fishing compliance check in Sullivan 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).