DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officer Highlights |
ECO Actions for Mid-AugustNew 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 DEC 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:
Feeling Crabby – Queens County
While on patrol on August 10, ECOs Josh Jarecki and Joshua Harvey observed two subjects operating a seine net in Jamaica Bay and placing what appeared to be blue claw crabs into a bucket. The officers watched as one of the individuals hid the bucket in the bushes on shore. As the subjects headed back to their vehicle with the bucket, the ECOs approached and found that the five-gallon bucket was full of blue claw crabs. The ECOs counted and sorted the crabs, finding 109, with 96 being under the legal-size limit. The ECOs issued four summonses for possession of undersize blue claw crabs and failure to possess a crabbing permit, as the crabbers were in possession of more crabs than allowed by the recreational limit. The crabs were photographed and returned to the water.
ECO Jarecki with seized blue claw crabs More Than Just a Spill – Kings County
Drums of petroleum contaminated waste waiting to be picked up Feeling Clammy- Kings County
ECOs Kochanowski and Jarecki with illegally possessed clams and crabs
Illegal Alligators – Sullivan County On August 14, ECO Tom Koepf received a call from a local wildlife rehabilitator reporting that a woman in the town of Mamakating had contacted her as she wished to turn over two alligators that she and her son had been raising as pets. The rehabilitator met with the woman at her home and collected the two alligators, measuring approximately three to four feet in length. ECOs Koepf and Mary Grose patrolled to the residence and interviewed the woman about the alligators. The woman said that she had caught one while fishing in Florida two years ago, and that her son had purchased the other online from an unknown source. The mother and son wanted to give the alligators away, as they were getting too big and difficult to care for. The pair were issued tickets for illegal possession of live crocodilia, returnable to the town of Mamakating Court. The rehabilitator is currently searching for a good home for the animals, possibly a zoo or educational center.
Alligators illegally kept in Mamakating Illegal Sale of Tiger Parts – Kings County On Friday August 17, ECO Ryan Wing entered a small jewelry shop in Kings County wearing plain clothes and looking for illegal items for sale. ECO Wing spotted three pieces that appeared to be made of animal teeth. The store clerk stated that the pieces were tiger teeth and the asking price for the items was $330 apiece. ECO Wing contacted ECOs Zachary Kochanowki and Brendan Dickson, in uniform nearby. The uniformed ECOs entered the store and informed the store clerk that it is illegal to offer for sale endangered species or parts thereof. The items were photographed and seized, and a summons was issued for the illegal commercialization of wildlife.
Jewelry made from tiger teeth for sale in Brooklyn
Good Fishing – Ulster and Sullivan Counties
On August 20, ECO Michael Hameline was checking fishermen at Dixie Lake in the town of Liberty when he met father and son from Brooklyn eager to show him their catch. The pair had caught a 25-inch-long chain pickerel weighing in at three pounds. After taking pictures and measurements, the fish was released back into the lake to hopefully be caught by another future angler. The pickerel was large enough to be entered in the Angler Achievement Award Program. The Angler Achievement program is a way for DEC to recognize anglers that have succeeded in catching a fish most people only dream about. The awards program records 43 different species of fish through multiple categories based on length or weight. One of the categories is the Catch and Release, which recognizes anglers that release their trophy fish to protect the resource so that others can have an opportunity to catch a fish of a lifetime.
Shawangunk Day bass and Dixie Lake pickerel Capsized Boat – Hamilton County
The small boat after capsizing on Sacandaga Lake
DEC Summer Camp Career Day – Warren County Technical Sergeant Taryn Czora participated in the DEC Camp Pack Forest’s annual “career day” in Warrensburg. During the career day, 60 campers ages 14-17 and their counselors learned about the varied duties of an ECO. In addition, Sgt. Czora discussed the requirements to become an ECO and life during the ECO police training academy, as well as highlights from her field work as an ECO in New York City. Campers rotated around career stations throughout the day, learning from DEC Fisheries, Education, Communications, and Lands and Forest staff. Sgt. Czora has a long history with DEC’s summer camp program, having spent several seasons as a Camp Counselor at Camp DeBruce and Camp Rushford prior to becoming an ECO.
Sgt. Czora with campers at DEC’s Pack Forest summer camp “career day”
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