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DEC Contact: Maureen Wren (518) 402-8000 August 15, 2019
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DEC’s Environmental Conservation Police Officers to Participate in Harlem Week Festival this Saturday |
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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will be participating in the 2019 Harlem Week festival activities this weekend. Members of DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement will be at the Harlem State Office Building, 153 125th Street, on Saturday, August 17, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) in attendance will be displaying ivory tusks, animal mounts, various other animal species, and an off-road vehicle and will use the festival as an opportunity to better inform the community of the role of ECOs. In addition, ECOs will provide information about the upcoming civil service exam for Environmental Conservation Police Officers. Applications for ECOs and Forest Rangers are being accepted until September 4, 2019, and exams will be held the weekend of October 19, 2019. For more information about the upcoming state civil service exams and qualifications for each position, visit the New York State Department of Civil Service website. ECOs, originally called Game Protectors, were first appointed for service in New York State in 1880. ECO job duties are centered on the 71 chapters of New York State Environmental Conservation Law and range from investigating deer poaching, conducting surveillance on a company suspected of dumping chemical waste, or checking fishing licenses on a local waterway. In 2018, ECOs responded to more than 21,668 calls and issued more than 20,665 tickets. ECOs and Forest Rangers are full-fledged New York State Police officers and are often called upon to assist in some of New York's most important police work. They were among the first responders on the scene to help in the aftermath of Sept. 11th, assisted in the response to Superstorm Sandy, helped in the 2015 search for two escaped felons from the Clinton Correctional facility in Dannemora, and have traveled to battle wildfires in western states. |
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