FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Reports for April 28-May 4

April 28 through May 4, 2023

This report represents some events the FWC handled over specified weeks; 
however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

View this as a web page.

View previous editions.

CASES

Bay County

• Officers Gore, Boley and N. Basford were on patrol in St. Andrews Bay when they stopped a vessel to conduct a fisheries inspection. One individual was behind the wheel of the vessel while the other was controlling the throttles. While conducting the fisheries inspection, Officer Basford noticed the subject controlling the throttles showed signs of impairment. Officer Basford conducted standard field sobriety tasks on the individual, however, the subject refused to give a breath sample. The individual was charged with boating under the influence and refusing to submit to breath test and was booked into the Bay County jail. The other person stated they could not drive the vessel. United States Coast Guard took control of the vessel.
• Officers Gore and Boley investigated a complaint about a juvenile who was hunting deer, harvested an antlerless deer during closed season on private property and did not report the harvest. A search warrant was obtained for a cell phone and officers interviewed several involved parties. Officer Boley discovered the juvenile’s stepfather was hunting with him and allowed him to shoot the antlerless deer during closed season. After discussing the case with the State Attorney’s office, the juvenile’s stepfather was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
• Officers Alsobrooks, Gore and Lieutenant Allen responded to a complaint on the pier about shark fishing. Officer Alsobrooks was able to identify the two subjects involved in the incident from a video sent to him by a witness. While conducting a fisheries inspection, the two individuals were found to be in possession of six sharks, three of which were undersized and had their fins removed. One individual was charged with being over the bag limit of shark. The other individual was charged with over the bag limit, possession of undersized spinner sharks and not in whole condition.

Escambia County

• Officers Allgood and Hahr were patrolling near Pensacola Bay when they observed a charter boat fishing in the military exclusion area. They conducted a vessel stop and explained to the captain he could not fish in the restricted area. A fishery inspection revealed a red snapper located in the fish box. Officers issued the captain a resource citation for possession of a red snapper during the closed season.
• Officer Allgood was patrolling in the Pensacola Bay area and observed an individual fishing from a vessel near the Ft. Pickens fishing pier. He conducted a resource inspection and asked to see their fishing license. The captain on the boat provided an individual commercial fishing license and said they were fishing commercially. The other two subjects were fishing without a commercial fishing license. The officer inspected their fish and found undersized pompano and Spanish mackerel. Notice to appear citations were issued for the violations.
• Lieutenant Lambert conducted a resource inspection on a fishing vessel as it returned to the Navy Point Boat Ramp. When he was about to open a cooler to inspect the catch, the captain of the boat revealed they had undersized spotted sea trout. The inspection revealed 10 trout with four of them being undersized. Citations were issued for undersized sea trout and possession of over the daily bag limit.
• Officers Allgood and Hahr were working in the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area when they observed five 13- to 18-year-olds carrying a cooler of beer onto the sandbar at Fillingim Landing. Before the officers made contact, they observed them smoking cannabis and drinking beer. The youths stated they had bought a half ounce of cannabis, THC vape cartridges, and the case of beer in preparation for their night out. The two adults were issued notices to appear for the violations and the three juveniles were referred to Department of Juvenile Justice.
• Officers Allgood and Hahr were on patrol in Perdido River Wildlife Management Area and observed an individual driving into the area. The subject was later observed drinking vodka and was charged with driving with a revoked license and possession of alcoholic beverages in Perdido River WMA.
• While on patrol in the Perdido River, Officer McHenry noticed an individual fishing with free-floating noodles. The subject was also using bream for bait. Both these methods are illegal in Florida. Citations were issued for the violations.

Okaloosa County

• Lieutenant Molnar, Officers Mursch and J. Brooks responded to a boating accident north of Crab Island. The officers received a report that a 33-foot motorboat collided with a sailboat. Lieutenant Molnar contacted the operator of the motorboat and determined the operator showed signs of impairment. At the conclusion of the investigation, the operator of the motorboat refused to perform standard field sobriety tasks and was arrested for boating under the influence. The operator was also issued a citation for violation of United States Coast Guard navigational rule for proper lookout.
• Officers Oliver and J. Brooks were on patrol when they observed a pontoon vessel violating a slow speed/minimum wake zone. Officer Oliver and Officer Brooks stopped the vessel stop to address the violation and conducted a boating safety inspection. Officer Oliver observed the vessel operator showed signs of impairment – slurred speech and a strong smell of alcohol on his breath – and the subject admitted to drinking. The operator performed poorly on standard field sobriety tasks and provided a breath sample that was over the legal limit. The subject was charged with operating a vessel with a breath alcohol level of .08 or higher and received a citation for the slow speed/minimum wake zone violation.
• Officer Oliver was on patrol when he observed a center console vessel violating an idle speed/no wake zone. Officer Oliver stopped the vessel to address the violation and conducted a boating safety inspection. The operator showed signs of impairment such as slurred speech throughout the inspection. Open and empty alcoholic beverage cans were piled about the rear of the vessel and the operator had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath. The operator performed poorly on standard field sobriety tasks and provided a breath sample that was over the legal limit. The operator was charged with operating a vessel with a breath alcohol level of .08 or higher and a citation was issued for the idle speed/no wake zone violation.

Santa Rosa County

• While on patrol, Officer Mullins observed a vessel operating on plane in an idle speed zone in Blackwater River. When contacting the vessel and its four occupants, one of the subjects exposed his backside to the officer and nearby members of the public. Officers Wilkenson and Roberson assisted with the subjects, who tried to leave the area. An inspection revealed the possession of alcohol, and each subject was under the age of 21. The operator was issued the appropriate citations/warnings for boating violations. Each subject was issued a notice to appear for possession of alcohol under 21 years of age. Officers stressed the importance of boating laws, safety, and possession/ consumption of alcohol while recreating on the water.
• Officer Land was on patrol near Milton Marina when he observed an individual on a personal watercraft operating on plane within the idle speed zone in Quinn Bayou. Officer Land gave the subject loud verbal commands to approach the shoreline. When Officer Land began speaking to the subject, he noticed the individual was sunburnt and his eyes were bloodshot and watery. When the subject spoke, Officer Land detected the smell of alcohol. Officer Land asked the subject if he had been drinking, and the individual stated he had been. Officer Land asked the individual to perform a seated standardized field sobriety tasks. At the conclusion of the tasks the individual was placed under arrest for operating a vessel with normal faculties impaired. The Individual was transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail.

Wakulla County

• Officer M. Fernbach was on patrol in Panacea when he observed a vessel coming in with multiple fishing rods on board. Officer Fernbach conducted a resource and boating safety inspection. The operator was found to be in possession of an undersized cobia. A misdemeanor citation was issued for the violation.
• Officer D. Travis was on patrol at the Red Lake Boat Ramp. He was conducting resource and boating safety inspections. Officer Travis inspected a vessel after the operator had been fishing. The operator stated he and his brother had been fishing but he had dropped his brother off at a different location. The operator admitted to possessing nine black sea bass. During the inspection, the operator admitted to fishing alone. Officer Travis issued a misdemeanor citation for over the bag limit of black sea bass.
• Officer S. Gray was on patrol at the St. Marks Fort. He conducted a resource and boating safety inspection on a vessel and occupants that had been fishing. The operator stated he caught multiple legal fish. Upon further inspection, Officer Gray discovered an undersized redfish. An individual on the vessel admitted to catching the redfish and was issued a citation.
• Officer Specialist B. Morales found a wild turkey bait site with cracked corn. He had been monitoring the site during turkey season and one morning he observed an individual using an artificial caller in a blind 20 yards from the bait site. The subject was issued a citation for hunting wild turkey within 100 yards of a bait site.  

Walton County

• Officers Tison and Letcher located a 17-foot vessel that had been dumped recently on Choctawhatchee River Wildlife Management Area.  The officers spoke to some campers nearby who informed them the vessel was dumped 30 minutes before the officers discovered it. The campers did not see the suspects but heard a loud truck speeding away from the area. With the aid of a nearby FLOCK camera and assistance from Investigators Armstrong and Goss, a photograph of the suspect’s vehicle was obtained. Investigator Armstrong was able to gain the suspect’s possible address. Officers Tison and Letcher went to the address and were able to match an empty vessel trailer to the trailer photographed by the FLOCK camera. The officers located the subject who admitted to dumping the vessel on WMA property with the help of another individual. Officers Tison and Letcher coordinated and oversaw that the subject removed the vessel from the WMA. The subject was charged with felony littering.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Leon County

• Officers S. Gray and W. Brooks and Lieutenant N. Korade represented the FWC at the “Walk Like MADD” event in Tallahassee. The 2023 Tallahassee event is MADD's signature fundraising event to help raise awareness and funds to eliminate drunk and drugged driving.
• Lieutenant S. Olson represented the FWC at Hartsfield Elementary for their annual Career Fair Day. Representatives from the Tallahassee Fire Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Hazardous Disposal/Bomb Unit, as well as Motorcade and Hostage Negations Teams contributed. Lieutenant Olson educated students and staff about the FWC’s conservation mission.

CASES

Baker County

• Officer Fanelli located a hunting blind set within 20 yards of a baited site at a local hunting club. Officer Fanelli monitored the site throughout spring turkey season and observed the addition of fresh bait. On the last weekend of the season, Officer Fanelli found a subject hunting in the blind. The hunter was charged with hunting wild turkey over bait.
• Officers Burnsed and Waychoff were working nights in Osceola Wildlife Management Area with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Officer Patton. USFWS Officer Patton was traveling on C.R. 250 when an oncoming pickup traveled into his lane, almost causing a head-on collision. The officer evaded the oncoming pickup, turned around, and made a traffic stop for the violation. Signs of impairment were observed and Officers Burnsed and Waychoff responded to assist. The driver was administered standard field sobriety tasks and arrested for driving under the influence. The driver was unable to give a breath sample. The driver was booked into the Baker County Jail.

Citrus County

• Officers Hughes, Jovanov, and Jacobs were conducting offshore patrols for commercial fisheries enforcement. During this patrol, several commercial shrimping vessels were inspected, three of which were operating without the proper federal licensing. Federal citations were issued for the violations.
• Senior Officer VanNess was conducting recreational fishing inspections and discovered a subject who did not hold a valid fishing license. Upon identifying the individual, Senior Officer VanNess discovered the person held an active arrest warrant. The individual was arrested and booked into the Citrus County Jail.
• Officer Pietroburgo concluded an investigation involving suspected title fraud of a vessel. Beginning with a proactive vessel stop for a safety inspection, Officer Pietroburgo noticed the registration did not match the vessel to which it was assigned. A follow-up investigation revealed the vessel’s true identity, which the owner had attempted to conceal. Over the next two months, Officer Pietroburgo collected evidence through interviews with several individuals, physical examination of the vessel, analyzing digital data and additional information gained through search warrants. The evidence showed the vessel owner, with help from family members, had purchased a second vessel with intent to use its title to fraudulently apply it to another vessel. Evidence indicated the vessel owner applied the unauthorized registration numbers and hull identification number, painted the vessel to match the original from the manufacturer, and then advertised it for sale to make a profit. Officer Pietroburgo concluded this investigation with several felony and misdemeanor charges including vessel title fraud, fraudulently applying registration and hull identification numbers, conspiracy, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
• Officer Specialists Ulrich and Browning were patrolling Citrus Wildlife Management Area during a spring turkey quota hunt, checking for license and resource compliance. The officers received information that two subjects harvested wild turkeys but did not check them in at the WMA check station. Citrus WMA requires hunters to check their harvested game at the check station and only one wild turkey may be harvested for each quota permit. During an interview with the subjects, the officers learned one of them held a valid quota permit and the other was a guest hunter. Both hunters admitted to harvesting a wild turkey and they did not check them in at the check station. Officers Ulrich and Browning issued the hunters notice to appear citations for failure to check game in at the check station and exceeding the quota permit bag limit.
• Officer Specialist Ulrich and Browning were on water patrol near Crystal Bay when they stopped two vessels with fishing equipment. During the boating safety and resource inspection, the officers located an undersized flounder and undersized spotted sea trout. They also located several open alcoholic beverages on one of the vessels. All vessel occupants were under the age of 21 and were questioned on where they obtained the alcohol. The individuals advised the officers they got the alcohol from someone at the sandbar and provided a description of the subject. Officers Ulrich and Browning went to the area of the sandbar and were able to locate a subject matching the description provided. Upon interviewing the subject, they admitted they provided the alcohol and knew the individuals were not 21. Officer Browning issued the subject a notice to appear citation for providing alcohol to persons under the age of 21.

Clay County

• Senior Officer Matthew Nasworth was on land patrol in Clay County at the Lakeshore Boat Ramp and observed several subjects fishing from the dock. He conducted a resource inspection and discovered one subject to be in possession of two red drum (redfish).  He issued a citation to the subject for over the daily bag limit of redfish.
• Senior Officer Matthew Nasworth responded to a complaint in Green Cove Springs about someone feeding an alligator.  Officer Nasworth observed and contacted a subject who matched the description. The subject claimed to be feeding fish only.  Officer Nasworth investigated and determined the subject was intentionally feeding alligators.  Criminal charges were filed in Clay County with the State Attorney’s Office.
• Officer Alex Alvarez and Officer James Jordan were on state water patrol on the St. Johns River when they observed a commercial crabbing boat pulling crab traps north of the Shand’s Bridge. Upon conducting a commercial fisheries inspection, the operator was issued multiple citations to include the possession of gear belonging to an individual, saltwater products license not on board and improper display of restricted species markings on vessel.

Dixie County

• Officer Specialist Troiano observed a large center console vessel return from the Gulf of Mexico to a boat ramp in Dixie County. The vessel operator told Officer Troiano there was one mangrove snapper and one cobia in the fish box aboard the vessel. Officer Troiano conducted a marine fisheries inspection and located one gag grouper also aboard the vessel. The operator and other occupants of the vessel denied any knowledge of the gag grouper. Officer Troiano issued one citation to the operator for unlawful possession of gag grouper out of season.
• Officer Specialist Sheffield was conducting marine fisheries inspections at a local boat ramp. On two occasions, he contacted two subjects in possession of spotted sea trout that were under the legal slot size. Both subjects were issued citations for the violations.

Levy County

• Officer Hailey Carroll responded to an incident involving the illegal take of an alligator. Officer Carroll interviewed a subject who admitted to shooting a 6’ alligator in a private pond. The carcass was recovered and charges are pending with the State Attorney’s Office.
• Officer Corrie Bell was on land patrol when he noticed a commercial oyster harvester towing a vessel with bags of oysters inside. It was past the time allowed for commercial harvesters to deliver their product to a certified processor. The oysters were tagged for commercial sale. Officer Bell explained the violation and cited the subject for the violation.
• Officer James Fox was in Gulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area when he noticed an individual in the WMA illegally due to the season being closed. The observed activity was consistent with someone running deer dogs. A brief investigation revealed the person did have dogs in the woods and Officer Fox cited him for the violations.

Suwannee County

• Officer Boone was contacted by a local caretaker of private property in reference to a gate being pulled down and the theft of a small aluminum boat and trailer. The officer asked the complainant if he had any game cameras on the property. There were operational cameras that captured photos of the suspects’ vehicle entering and exiting the property with the boat. The officer identified the registration number on the license plate and responded to the address provided. Once at the address, the boat was located in the backyard with a fresh coat of paint. The officer contacted the owner of the truck a short time later. After a brief interview, the suspect admitted to destroying the gate and stealing the vessel. The vessel was returned to the owner. Appropriate charges have been filed with the State’s Attorney’s Office.
• Officer Cline was patrolling Suwannee River Water Management District lands when he encountered two subjects actively digging on state-owned land. An inspection of items they had removed revealed rocks but no artifacts. When issuing a warning for the violation, the officer discovered both individuals were in violation of probation warrants. Both subjects were taken into custody and booked into the Suwannee County Jail.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

• Officer Waychoff participated in the annual Children and Seniors Fishing Derby hosted by the Baker County Veterans Council. Before the event, Officer Waychoff assisted FWC freshwater fisheries biologists in collecting bream and bass from a nearby management area waterbody for the event. Officer Waychoff educated the more than 60 participants on freshwater fish regulations and boating safety. 

CASES

Brevard County

• The FWC Northeast Region Dive Team hosted a three-day multi-agency dive cleanup event at Sebastian Inlet State Park with the FWC Southwest Region Dive Team, FWC South Region A Dive Team, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Dive Team, Melbourne Police Department Dive Team, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Orange County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Melbourne Beach Fire Rescue, Brevard County Ocean Rescue, Clean Water Coalition, and the FWC Marine Debris Program. During this successful event, over 40 divers removed more than 900 pounds of marine debris from the waters of Sebastian Inlet’s North Jetty and North Catwalk. The debris they removed included cast nets, fishing poles, fishing lures, anchors, and tangled ropes.  

• Lieutenant Eller and Officer St. Martin were on water patrol near Sebastian Inlet when they noticed a large fishing vessel returning from offshore. The officers conducted a vessel stop and resource inspection. While onboard, Officer St. Martin observed a large fish box that contained ice and a bag of what appeared to be large snapper fillets. Officer St. Martin interviewed the subject who admitted to filleting the snapper while offshore. The subject was cited accordingly.
• While patrolling the St. Johns River marsh, Lieutenant Lightsey conducted a vessel inspection on an airboat. During the inspection, the vessel operator showed signs of impairment. In addition, numerous empty cans and bottles of beer and wine were present on the vessel. After conducting seated standardized field sobriety tasks, the operator was placed under arrest for boating under the influence (BUI). Due to the operator’s previous alcohol related history, he was charged with felony DUI/BUI third violation within ten years, felony DUI/BUI fourth or subsequent violation, refusal to submit to a breath sample second or subsequent violation and several warnings for no safety equipment on board his vessel.
• Officer Specialist Balgo contacted an individual fishing near S.R. 520. The individual stated he had only caught jacks and ladyfish but returned them to the water. Officer Balgo observed the individual’s cooler and conducted a resource inspection. The individual stated he had a spotted seatrout, retrieved it from the cooler and quickly closed it. Further inspection revealed the individual was in possession of an undersized snook. The spotted seatrout was also undersized. The individual was cited accordingly.

Sumter County

• Senior Officer Phillips was proactively patrolling Richloam Wildlife Management Area when he discovered a vehicle that was not registered. He also identified a subject in possession of alcohol. Both are violations of the WMA rules, and both subjects were cited appropriately.

Volusia County

• Senior Officer Bertolami was on night patrol around North Causeway in New Smyrna Beach when he observed a vessel being loaded at the public boat ramp. The officer contacted the operator for a fisheries inspection. The subject stated he had caught only catfish. Further inspection revealed the subject was hiding an undersized snook. The subject said he caught it a few days earlier, then changed his story to the fish was floating in the water and he netted it. Further investigation revealed the subject had a suspended driver’s license. The violations were addressed, and the tag of the vehicle was seized per Florida statute.

Palm Beach County

• Northeast Region Officers Wild, Thomas, and Marroquin assisted South Region officers with patrolling the annual Boca Bash, held at Lake Boca Raton. FWC officers assisted other agencies with domestic violence charges across vessels, evacuated individuals for medical emergencies and enforced boating safety laws on a multitude of violators. While on patrol, Northeast Region FWC officers made four of the 19 boating under the influence arrests on the day of the event, including an individual who resisted arrest. Drug Recognition Expert Officer Marroquin supported other local DREs with the logistics of setting up his agency issued Intoxilyzer machine and assisted with DRE evaluations. Officers Wild and Marroquin stayed after the detail ended around midnight and made an additional BUI arrest together. Together the Northeast Region officers made a positive impact and played a crucial role in public safety.

St. Johns County

• Officers Thomas, Lawrence, Lemaster, Campbell, and Chamberlain responded to a request for assistance from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office to assist in locating an escaped inmate who fled into the woods. After a brief search, the inmate was found and safely returned to custody without further incident.
• Officer Ramsey was on patrol at a local boat ramp when he observed a vessel approach with fishing rods on board. He approached to conduct a saltwater fisheries inspection. During the inspection, he found the subject had harvested an undersized redfish. The subject was cited for the violation.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Lake County

• Lieutenants Chase and Dougan along with Officer Specialist Scrambling participated in the Welcome to the Woods event at Seminole State Forest. The officers provided information about the importance of conservation to the 100 children in attendance. The event, which featured clinics for kayaking, archery, hiking, fishing, and prescribed fire, was well received by the children and their chaperones. 

Volusia County

• Public Information Officer Specialist Weber gave a presentation about Florida wildlife and living with alligators for approximately 80 residents of Venetian Bay Homeowners Association. Half of the residents had recently moved to Florida and had several questions regarding Florida’s native wildlife and how to resolve human-wildlife conflicts. The presentation was well received.
• Public Information Officer Specialist Weber participated in career day at DeLand Middle School for 6^th to 8^th graders. The students were given a sheet with prepared questions to ask the career professionals in attendance. At the end of the event, a teacher shared with Officer Weber that many students had listed the FWC as their preferred career choice when they get older.

MAJOR WILDLIFE ASSISTANCE

• Lieutenant Miller and Officers Chamberlain and Self responded to several manatees that had beached themselves during mating season. The officers remained on the scene until high tide, allowing the manatees to swim back to deeper waters. Multiple educational contacts were made with concerned boaters.

CASES

Charlotte County

• Lt. Dalton and Officer Russell were on water patrol near Gasparilla Sound when they conducted a vessel stop. After a boating safety inspection and subsequent standardized field sobriety tasks, the vessel operator was arrested and booked into the Charlotte County Jail for boating under the influence.

Hernando County

• Officer Jason Brown was on patrol conducting boating safety and resource inspections at Bayport boat ramp when he observed a vessel operating without navigation lights. Officer Brown conducted a stop on the vessel for the violation, and during the course of the stop, the operator showed signs of impairment. The subject performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest and transported to the Hernando County jail where he was found to have a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit. The subject was charged accordingly.

Polk County

• Officer Jackson and Officer Gadd were on patrol when they received a report of a subject believed to be poaching on private property in Lake Wales. Both officers arrived on scene and identified the subject’s truck. The officers entered the woods and located two male subjects wearing camouflage clothing. One of them was carrying a .410 shotgun. The subjects denied they were hunting but both had turkey calls and other miscellaneous turkey hunting equipment in their backpacks. After contacting the landowner, it was determined the subjects did not have permission to hunt on the property. Both subjects were arrested for felony trespass and transported to the Polk County Jail.
• Officer Jackson received a report regarding three subjects locked behind the gate at Tenoroc Fish Management Area after hours. Officer Jackson arrived on scene and contacted the subjects who thought the gates closed at 8 p.m. Officer Jackson asked the subjects if they caught any fish. Two of the subjects were in possession of largemouth bass over 16 inches in length. The Tenoroc FMA rules specify no one can be in possession of largemouth bass over 16 inches in length. The third subject provided a false name and date of birth to Officer Jackson, and after an investigation, the subject’s identity was uncovered. The subject had an outstanding warrant from the U.S. Marshalls Service and was placed under arrest and transported to the Polk County Jail. The other two subjects in possession of the bass were cited accordingly.

Sarasota County

• Officer Wesche was on water patrol when he noticed a vessel operating near Bayshore without navigation lights.  A vessel stop revealed the operator had been fishing in the area and had two snook fillets onboard.  The subject was cited for possession of undersized snook.

CASES 

Glades County

• Officer Ciprich was conducting boating safety and resource inspections on vessels at a local boat ramp. While inspecting a vessel with fishing gear that had returned to the ramp, the officer found the subject was in possession of an undersized snook. The subject was issued a notice to appear for the violation.

Palm Beach County

• The FWC conducted a boating safety operation for the “Boca Bash” event that occurred at Lake Boca Ratan.  This joint operation with Boca Raton Police, Boca Fire/Rescue, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resulted in 19 boating under the influence arrests, two .02 breath alcohol of under the age 21 violations, and most important, no major boating accidents.
• Officer Pecko was on patrol in Palm Beach County at Canal Point. He observed several people fishing. While the officer approached the area, one subject put the fishing rod down and acted like he wasn’t fishing. The subject advised he did not have ID or a fishing license. There was one undersized black crappie in a bucket nearby. The subject subsequently had an extraditable warrant out of Okeechobee County for failure to appear for a fishing license citation that Officer Pecko had issued in November. The subject was placed under arrest and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

St. Lucie County

• Officer Miano attended an outreach event for the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, an FWC program that partners with the REEL Blessed organization.  The event took place at the Port Saint Lucie Botanical Gardens and introduced youth and their families to fishing. Officer Miano outlined the regulations in place to protect Florida’s fisheries resource and the job of an FWC conservation law enforcement officer. About 30 children and 20 adults were in attendance.  
• Officer Castle was an exhibitor at the Earth Day Festival held at the Oxbow Eco-Center. The theme for 2023 was “No Place Like Home.” Officer Miano interacted with the public, answering questions about fish and wildlife conservation, human-wildlife conflict and the role of conservation law enforcement officers, including how to become one.  A 22-foot Pathfinder vessel was on display and informational brochures and other handouts were available.    
• Officer Miano was an exhibitor at the Port Saint Lucie Safety Fair Expo and Officer Irwin also assisted at the event.  This annual event draws a large crowd of people even from outside the local area. A four-seater side by side off-road vehicle was on display and officers spoke to event attendees about the job of an FWC conservation law enforcement officer and requirements for employment.  Handouts were available on various safety topics.  Approximately 500 people visited the booth with many children receiving Junior Officer Badges and “Life Jackets Save Lives” giveaways.