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 2025, DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement fielded an estimated 101,169 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 35,575 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 15,673 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

 

“DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators enforce New York’s Environmental Conservation Law to ensure the protection of public safety and our vast natural resources, including air, water, wildlife, and New York’s one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “This highly specialized and rewarding work is instrumental to upholding our stringent laws and making the great outdoors safe and enjoyable for everyone.”

 

Undercover Operation – New York County

 

On January 27, ECOs Ableson and Baldwin, along with an Investigator with DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes (BECI), orchestrated an undercover purchase of an Eastern box turtle offered for sale at a pet shop in Harlem. The turtle is native to New York and illegal to possess or sell as a pet under State Environmental Conservation Law. ECO Baldwin learned about the sale from a concerned wildlife rehabilitator out of New Jersey who spotted it in the store. The undercover Investigator entered the store, observed the turtle, and negotiated a price. The Investigator then returned later with ECOs Ableson and Baldwin, confiscated the reptile, and transported it to a licensed rehabilitator who determined the animal was too domesticated to be returned to the wild. The turtle will instead live the rest of its life as an educational specimen to be cared for and studied as a native species. The owner of the pet store received a Notice of Violation.

 

ECO Ableson with Eastern box turtle illegally offered for sale at a pet store in Harlem (photo attached)

 

 

Illegal Deer Take Investigation – Wayne County

 

ECO McCabe received several complaints towards the end of New York’s deer hunting season that a hunter shot several large bucks in the Town of Marion and shared photos of them with his acquaintances. Officer McCabe investigated the claims and determined most of the photos were screen shots from various social media sources and the hunter in question was falsely claiming they belonged to him. However, one photo of an eight-point buck turned out to be real and the ECO determined the animal was taken by the hunter prior to him purchasing a hunting license. After further investigation, including several interviews with the subject and his acquaintances, ECO McCabe determined that the subject took at least three deer illegally. The hunter received more than a dozen tickets, four of them misdemeanors, returnable to Marion Town Court.

 

 

Marine Law Enforcement Training – Glynco, Georgia

 

On February 2, ECO DeVito began a month-long Marine Law Enforcement Training program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. The advanced program included various written and practical examinations, as well as multiple hours of training focused on marine law enforcement patrol tactics and vessel handling. ECO DeVito was the only woman in her class which included 13 other law enforcement Officers from across the country. She graduated from the program on February 27 and returned to her sector at the east end of Long Island ready for boat patrol and better prepared for police interactions on the water.

 

ECO DeVito graduates federal Marine Law Enforcement Training program in Georgia (photo attached)

 

 

Market Inspections – Kings County

 

On February 13, ECOs accompanied a DEC Division of Marine Resources shellfish inspection unit throughout Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn to inspect fish markets. The team confiscated a total of 200 raw packages of oysters from one market because the oysters were from China which does not comply with the Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List, a monthly FDA-published document listing dealers, harvesters, and shippers approved to sell molluscan shellfish in the United States. DEC issued one Notice of Violation during the inspection.

 

DEC investigators inspect a fish market in Brooklyn (photo attached)

 

Bald Eagle Rescue – New York County

 

On February 17, ECOs Ableson and Baldwin responded to a call from the New York City Police Department Harbor Unit regarding an injured bald eagle recovered from a sheet of ice floating beneath the George Washington Bridge. The NYPD safely captured the bird, wrapped it in a blanket, and placed it on their police vessel. The ECOs met the Officers at a nearby pier, transferred the eagle to an animal carrier, and transported it to the Raptor Trust, a bird-of-prey rehabilitation facility in New Jersey, for treatment. DEC checked in with employees at Raptor Trust and learned the eagle remains in guarded condition and is still receiving treatment at the facility. Video of the eagle trapped on floating ice can be viewed here: https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/fs/programs/press/DLE/InjuredBaldEagleDiscoveredFloatingOnIceBeneathGeorgeWashingtonBridge%20.mp4

 

ECO Ableson transports an injured eagle to a rehabilitation facility in New Jersey (photo attached)

 

 

Illegal Turkey Take – Jefferson County

 

On February 27, ECO Seabury responded to a complaint from a resident who reported witnessing an individual shoot and kill several wild turkeys off a back porch in the Town of Orleans. Officer Seabury questioned the subject who admitted to firing four shots and killing three wild turkeys while they were feeding at a bird feeder in the dwelling’s backyard. The turkeys were hidden in the bed of the subject’s pickup truck.

 

ECO Seabury ticketed the subject for multiple counts of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling, the illegal take of wildlife, and taking game out of season. He then confiscated the birds as evidence. The defendant is due in court in April to answer the charges.

 

The upcoming season for wild turkeys is May 1 to May 31 with a bag limit of two bearded birds per hunter. It is not uncommon for wild turkeys to congregate in residential areas near bird feeders during winter months to store necessary fat reserves for survival.

 

ECO Seabury with turkeys killed illegally in Jefferson County (photo attached)

 

ECO Recruiting – New York County

 

ECOs in New York City participated in ongoing recruiting efforts in recent weeks.

 

On February 27, ECOs Barrett and Nolan attended Columbia University’s Climate and Sustainability Career Expo and spoke to many students interested in careers with DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement.

 

On March 3, ECO Ableson and Lieutenant Levanway presented to students in a project management class at John Jay College of Criminal Justice – City University of New York (CUNY). Officer Ableson began by explaining to students the role ECOs play in protecting public safety and New York’s natural resources. Lieutenant Levanway then presented a case scenario involving the illegal commercialization of wildlife. The students will develop a final project outlining how they would manage the investigation.

 

The ECOs will return to the class for more sessions to advise the students on how to proceed and will evaluate their final projects.

 

ECOs Nolan and Barrett attend Climate and Sustainability Expo at Columbia University in New York City (photo attached)

 

Lieutenant Levanway speaks to students at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City (photo attached)

 

 

ECO Outreach – Queens County

 

On March 4, ECOs Barbera and Bayne presented at the Poppenhusen Institute in Queens to members of the Coastal Preservation Network (CPN), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and restoring the shoreline and environment of Northern Queens and Long Island to safeguard the health of local residents. The ECOs were requested to speak at the event due to their response to an injured wildlife call in February. The original call came from a member of CPN whose young son found an injured Canada Goose in Queens. The Officers’ presentation addressed dealing with injured/diseased wildlife, living with urban wildlife, and how to report poaching incidents.

 

ECOs Bayne (left) and Barbera (right) present at a Coastal Preservation Network event in Queens

Photo Credit: A Better College Point Civic Association (photo attached)

 

Injured Canada Goose discovered in Queens

Photo Credit: Coastal Preservation Network (photo attached)

 

 

WNY Sport and Travel Expo – Erie County

 

From March 6–8, ECOs in Erie County and employees from DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife attended the Western New York Sport and Travel Expo at the Hamburg Fairgrounds in the Town of Hamburg. The event, which drew a large crowd of people of all ages and outdoor interests, included exhibitors from the hunting, fishing, and outdoor industry. Participating DEC employees answered questions from the public on a variety of environmental topics and enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the community.

 

ECOs and DEC Fish and Wildlife employees participate in the WNY Sport and Travel Expo in Erie County (photo attached)

 

 

Solid Waste Dumping – Schuyler County

 

On March 11, ECO Veloski discovered a large pile of garbage blocking a roadway that cuts through Sugar Hill State Forest while on patrol in the Town of Orange. The ECO contacted Forest Ranger Richer to handle any State land offenses and both Officers worked together to clear a path on the road and search the pile for any leads. They determined that a local garbage hauler dumped approximately 16,000 pounds of trash while attempting to navigate through the State forest and failing to get up a hill due to the truck’s weight. The hauler returned to the location along with the Town of Orange Highway Department to clean up the pile and dispose of it properly. All documented charges associated with the case are being handled through an administrative order.

 

Solid waste illegally dumped in the Town of Orange, Schuyler County (photo attached)

 

 

To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch.