DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officer Highlights |
ECO Actions for Mid-June
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) enforce the 71 Chapters of NY Environmental Conservation Law, protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 2017, the 301 ECOs across the state responded to 26,400 calls and issued 22,150 tickets for crimes ranging from deer poaching to corporate toxic dumping and illegal mining, the black market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations. If you witness an environmental crime or believe a violation of environmental law occurred, please call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267). “From Montauk Point to Mount Marcy, from Brooklyn to Buffalo, the ECOs patrolling our state are the first line of defense in protecting New York’s environment and our natural resources, ensuring that they exist for future generations of New Yorkers,” said Commissioner Basil Seggos. “They work long and arduous hours, both deep in our remote wildernesses and in the tight confines of our urban landscapes. Although they don’t receive much public fanfare, the work of our ECOs is critical to achieving DEC’s mission to protect and enhance our environment.” Recent missions carried out by ECOs include:
DEC Investigator Named Conservation Officer of the Year – Oswego County
Tale of the Timber Rattlesnake – Ulster County On June 11, ECO Jason Smith received a tip that a timber rattlesnake, a threatened species in New York, had been killed by a contractor at a construction site in the town of Woodstock. ECO Smith interviewed several sub-contractors at the job site about the incident, but none gave a statement. After a brief search, the carcass of the snake was found with the head and rattle removed. Several days later, ECO Smith returned to the construction site to meet with an individual suspected of being involved in the incident. From there, ECO Smith tracked down the man in possession of the rattle. The rattle was recovered and the contractor was issued a summons for possession of threatened species parts, returnable in Town of Saugerties Court.
Mysterious Moose Demise Decoded – Herkimer County On June 17, ECO John Gates was alerted by a local citizen of a moose carcass south of Old Forge in the town of Webb. Gates found the moose carcass down an embankment on the side of an abandoned road. The moose had been dead for several days, as it was decomposed and had been fed on by other animals. However, two small holes were visible in the chest cavity behind the shoulder. DEC Pathologist Kevin Hynes visited the site to perform a field necropsy. Although it was 80 degrees, Hynes dissected and assessed the cause of death. He determined the animal had not been shot, but died as a result of a fall down the steep embankment, suffering two broken vertebrae.
No Fishing License Leads to Multiple Charges – Monroe County On June 19, ECOs Spencer Noyes and Ron Gross were checking fishermen in Monroe County when an angler said he did not have his fishing license but did have an ID the ECOs could use to look it up. When the man went to his car to retrieve his ID, the ECOs could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The man did not have a valid fishing license and his driver’s license had been revoked due to multiple violations and unpaid fines. When the man was asked about how he arrived at the location he became visibly nervous, telling a long-winded story about the car, which did not belong to him, and how he was driven to the location by another individual, who was then picked up and went fishing elsewhere. The ECOs advised the man that the car was going to be searched due to the odor of marijuana and that he would be charged with anything in the car because he was currently in possession of the vehicle. The man admitted that there was some marijuana in the center console, and when ECO Gross searched the car, he found marijuana, a scale with white residue on it, a razor blade, approximately two grams of a white substance consistent with crack cocaine, and IDs belonging to the man and other individuals. The ECOs arrested the fisherman, charging him with fishing without a license. In addition, the Greece Police Department charged him with criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th degree, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia 2nd degree, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Definitely a Wetland – Putnam County
Littering and Stealing Sunfish – Cayuga County On June 23, ECO Mark Colesante located a vehicle in the parking lot at Mud Lock on the Seneca River in the town of Aurelius matching the description of a previous complaint of a man taking bass out of season. ECO Colesante spotted a fisherman catching sunfish on almost every cast. When other fisherman would come near, he released the fish back to the water. As the subject eventually packed up to leave, he threw an empty fishing hook package into the river. ECO Colesante followed the man toward the parking lot. When the fisherman reached the edge of the woods, he stopped and appeared to be watching the parking lot for signs of observers. When he finally looked behind him, ECO Colesante said, “Are you looking for me?” The man had a cooler containing 80 sunfish, 30 fish over the daily limit. ECO Colesante issued the subject tickets for taking over the daily limit of sunfish and depositing trash into the navigable waters of the state. The man was arraigned at Aurelius Town Court and paid $200 in fines and surcharges.
Swiping Sunnies – Bronx County
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