October 6 through October 12, 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

Calhoun County

• Officer J. Coker was on patrol checking dove hunters. Upon inspecting a field he found it was baited with cracked corn. The hunters were cited for hunting dove over bait.
• Officer Coker saw a female sitting on the side of the road who appeared to be in distress. Two witnesses were on the scene. The female stated she had been riding in a car with another female, they got into a physical altercation and the driver left her on the side of the road. The witnesses stated the driver was intoxicated and provided a vehicle description. Officer Carr was nearby and was able to locate the suspect’s vehicle, which was being driven in an erratic manner. He initiated a traffic stop. As he spoke to the driver, he noticed her speech was slow and slurred. He could also smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the driver. He conducted standardized field sobriety tasks and based on the results the driver was arrested for driving under the influence. She was transported to the Calhoun County Jail.

Escambia County

• Officer Hahr observed a fishing boat leaving Mahogany Mill Public Boat Ramp and conducted a resource inspection. The boat owner showed him several mangrove snappers and three red snappers. The two subjects stated they thought the season was in since it was the Columbus Day holiday. During this period, red snapper season is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The subjects were charged with harvesting red snapper during closed season.  
• Officer Specialist Pettey discovered two fresh bait sites along with the related litter in Perdido River Wildlife Management Area. His investigation led to discovering the identity of the subject who placed the bait. Officer Pettey met with the subject and after a short interview, he found the subject had placed four different bait sites in the area to attract deer for the upcoming season. It is illegal to place bait of any kind in a wildlife management area. Officer Pettey was issued a notice to appear citation for placing bait in a wildlife management area and cited him for littering. 

Jackson County

• Officers J. Carr, H. Forehand and E. Meade were on patrol and checked several individuals hunting doves. When the officers inspected the field, they found it was baited with fresh wheat seed. The subjects were cited for hunting dove over bait.

Okaloosa County

• Officers Bower and Phillips were on patrol in the Destin Pass and observed a vessel with fishing equipment. A vessel stop was made to conduct a resource inspection. The occupants stated they caught several undersized mangrove snapper and juvenile red snapper but released them because they knew the regulations. Durning the inspections, the officers located two illegally harvested juvenile red snapper not in whole condition. The subjects were in possession of undersized and out-of-season red snapper. The subjects were issued a notice to appear citation for possessing red snapper less than 16 inches in total length and issued two warnings for possessing red snapper during closed season and not in whole condition. 
• Officers Bower and Phillips were on patrol and observed a subject fishing for crabs using a dip net. Upon inspection, the subject had multiple blue crabs and two stone crab claws inside the cooler. The subject was unaware of the regulations and seasons for stone crabs. The officers issued the subject a notice to appear citation for possessing stone crab claws out of season. 
• Officers Bower and Phillips were on patrol at the Okaloosa Island pier conducting resource inspections. The officers inspected a subject’s cooler, which contained undersized mangrove snapper. The subject was issued a notice to appear citation for harvesting undersized mangrove snapper and a citation for littering. The subject was also issued a trespassed warning from the pier. 
• Officers Mursch and Oliver were on patrol conducting resource inspections. The officers conducted a stop on a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico with fishing equipment. During an inspection, the owner and operator of the vessel appeared to be compliant with showing the officers the fish he had on board. The subject had legally harvested red snapper and vermillion snapper on his vessel within a fish box. When asked if he had fish anywhere else, he stated he did not. Officer Oliver checked a small cooler tucked away towards the bow of the vessel and located two bags of filleted greater amberjack hidden under ice. The subject was charged for harvesting a greater amberjack out of season and failure to land the fish in whole condition. 
• Officers Mursch and Oliver were on patrol conducting boating safety inspections. Both officers noticed a pontoon vessel violating an idle speed/no wake zone and operating in circles. A vessel stop was conducted to address the violation and perform a boating safety inspection. Throughout the inspection, Officer Oliver noticed the operator was exhibiting signs of impairment. The operator agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tasks and stated he had consumed a couple of beers. The subject performed poorly on the tasks and was placed under arrest for boating under the influence. The subject later provided a breath sample over the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration The subject was booked into jail and issued a citation for violating the idle speed zone. 
• Officer Oliver was on patrol when he stopped a vessel for violating an idle speed/no wake zone. While speaking with the operator of the vessel, the officer noticed several signs of impairment and conducted standardized field sobriety tasks. The operator was arrested for boating under the influence and later provided a breath sample over the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration. The operator was booked into jail and issued citations for violating the idle speed/no wake zone and not processing a required type IV throwable device on board the vessel. 
• Officers Burkhead and Valdez were on patrol near Destin Harbor when they observed several individuals cleaning fish on a nearby dock. As the officers approached the individuals, they found it was an active charter returning from a fishing trip. After conducting a resource inspection, they located several gray triggerfish and vermillion snapper that appeared to be undersized. The officers measured the fish and found five undersized gray triggerfish and one undersized vermillion snapper. Officer Valdez wrote the charter captain notice to appear citations for possession of undersized gray triggerfish and undersized vermillion snapper.

Santa Rosa County

• Officers Mullins and Phillips were on patrol in the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area, performing resource and camp inspections. The officers observed a willful wanton waste game fish violation. They contacted a subject nearby and learned he was involved. They observed he had alcohol, litter, and his dog off leash. The subject refused to provide his identification arguing there were no violations. The officers explained there were multiple violations, and they needed his identification. The subject continued arguing and refused to comply with direction. The subject was placed under arrest and later identified. It was discovered he had an active warrant out of Bay County for trafficking meth over 200 grams, drug paraphernalia and trespassing. The subject was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail and charged with resisting arrest without violence. Additionally, he was issued a trespass, cited for alcohol, litter, and dog off leash. Officer J. Brooks assisted with the case. 
• Officer Burkhead was patrolling Blackwater Wildlife Management Area when he located a camper and a vehicle pulled into the woods off a closed road in an area where camping is prohibited. Officer Burkhead located two individuals near the illegal campsite. There was a large amount of debris scattered around the camper and the woods nearby. After locating the individuals, they admitted to living in the camper on the closed road and discarding their trash into the woods. Officer Burkhead wrote several citations for litter, illegal camping off a closed road, and other wildlife management area violations. Officer Burkhead successfully directed the individuals to pick up their trash and leave the area.

Walton County

• Officer Tison was patrolling when he received a complaint related to a migratory gamebird hunt. When the officer arrived at the complaint location, he heard several gun shots consistent with migratory gamebird hunting. Upon entering the property, contact was made with several hunters in the area. When the officer conducted an inspection of the field where the individuals had been hunting, a feeder was discovered with cracked corn and bird seed in the dispensing tray. Further inspection of the field revealed several areas where cracked corn, wheat, and millet seed had been placed. The individuals were issued citations for taking migratory gamebirds over a baited field. 

 COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

• Officers Letcher and Yates presented at an outdoor education program at the South Walton High School. The class had just finished taking the online boating safety education course. The officers used a patrol vessel for display and spoke to the students about boating safety and boating regulations.

CASES

Nassau County

• While patrolling Nassau County, Officer Martin responded to a gopher tortoise complaint on an active construction site where a new home was being built. She arrived on the scene to see an active construction site on top of what was believed to be a gopher tortoise burrow. Officer Martin's investigation revealed an active burrow and the site did not have the proper permitting despite knowledge of the active burrow. Additionally, the officer determined a construction worker had blocked the active burrow and physically moved a gopher tortoise off the site. Officer Martin was able to get an arrest warrant signed for the site manager for not having the proper permits and an additional arrest warrant signed for the construction worker who physically removed the gopher tortoise from the construction site. 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Columbia County

• Senior Officer Johnston participated in a hunter safety class in Lake City and presented information about safe, responsible hunting and rules and regulations related to hunting in Florida. Officer Johnston answered several questions from the 15 students in attendance. 
• Senior Officer Johnston attended a cross-country invitational meet held within the Alligator Lake Fish Management Area. There were about a thousand athletes competing in 2k, 3k, and 5k events who represented middle schools and high schools from across Florida. Officer Johnston provided security at the event, answered hunting-related questions, and assisted a spectator with a traffic crash self-report form after her vehicle received minor damage in a traffic crash. Officer Johnston had many positive interactions with the student-athletes and spectators in attendance.

CASES

Brevard County

• Officer Specialist Parrish noticed a vehicle parked off the side of the road near a restricted area gate on the Upper St. Johns River Marsh Wildlife Management Area. He followed foot sign past the gate and a few hundred yards into the woods where he found a treestand. The subject was hunting with a crossbow and did not possess a Persons With Disabilities Crossbow Permit. Officer Parrish looked around the treestand and found scattered corn about 30 yards away. The subject admitted to scattering the corn and was cited accordingly for multiple license violations, entering illegally, hunting with a crossbow without a disability permit, and hunting over bait in a WMA.
• While on patrol at Freddie Patrick Park Boat Ramp, Officer Specialist Balgo and Officer Osborn conducted a resource inspection on an incoming vessel. The two vessel occupants were found to be in possession of two snook, one of which was over the 32-inch maximum size limit for snook. One individual had an expired saltwater fishing license and an expired snook permit. The violations were addressed accordingly.
• Officer Specialist Balgo and Officer Osborn conducted a resource inspection on an incoming vessel. The two occupants of the vessel were found to be in possession of three undersized red snapper and an undersized black sea bass. Multiple fish were found hidden in the rear bilge area of the vessel. The violations were addressed accordingly.
• Officer Specialist Balgo and Officer Osborn observed two individuals trespassing onto Port Canaveral property with gigs and spears. The two individuals were found in possession of two undersized flounder, stone crab claws out of season, and 14 blue crabs harvested by illegal method. The violations were addressed accordingly.
• Officer Specialist Rasey stopped a group of anglers to perform a resource inspection. One individual was found to be in possession of a red drum during a closed season. The subject was cited accordingly.
• Officer Snyder was on patrol at Freddie Patrick Boat Ramp, when he conducted a resource and boating safety inspection on a subject fishing from a kayak. The inspection revealed the individual was in possession of an oversized snook and had vessel safety gear violations. The individual was cited accordingly.
• Officer Navarino was alerted to a vehicle parked on the side of Hatbill Road next to a local conservation area. Officer Navarino met with Investigator Loeffler who observed an individual exit the conservation land with a hunting dog. Officer Navarino followed the individual into the conservation area to get his friend and the rest of their dogs. The individuals had numerous dogs with GPS trackers and wearing cut vests. The individuals stated they were using their dogs to hunt wild hogs on the conservation area, which was closed to hunting. The individuals were cited accordingly.

Indian River County

• Officer Specialist Marroquin received information that a subject was harvesting undersized snapper on the south side of Sebastian Inlet State Park. Officer Marroquin arrived and immediately identified the subject, who was quickly packing his vehicle to leave the park. Officer Marroquin conducted a resource inspection of the subject’s coolers, which revealed an assortment of 15 undersized various snapper species to include: lane snapper, mutton snapper, and mangrove snapper. The subject was cited accordingly.

Volusia County

• Lieutenant Edson responded to a complaint of theft in a local wildlife management area. The complainant informed Lieutenant Edson he had two trail cameras stolen. Lieutenant Edson investigated, located two subjects, received admissions from both of them and recovered one of the stolen cameras. The suspects were charged appropriately.
• Officer Specialist Grant along with Officers Schaffer and Cornell responded to a local state park where they observed a subject cutting commercially exploited plant life. The officers contacted the subject and discovered he did not have permission to cut plant life in the state park and was not in possession of the required permits from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The subject was in possession of approximately 500 pounds of illegally harvested saw palmetto berries and was charged accordingly.

Putnam County

• Area officers converged on the St. Johns River to focus enforcement efforts on the shrimp run. Over the course of the one-day operation, nine misdemeanor citations were issued for harvesting over the bag limit of shrimp and harvesting freshwater gamefish by illegal method. In total 51 gallons of shrimp were seized from individuals who had harvested over the bag limit.

St. Johns County

• While conducting fisheries inspections at the Vilano Beach Boat Ramp, Senior Officer Thomas inspected a returning vessel with two subjects onboard. One subject stated he caught only a tripletail but released it. The other subject said he had caught and kept two red drum. The subject stated he thought he could take his occupant’s bag limit since his occupant did not catch and keep any fish. As the subject had priors for possessing prohibited species of lemon shark, Officer Thomas issued the subject a citation for possession of over-the-bag limit of red drum.
• While conducting fisheries inspections at Matanzas Inlet Bridge, Senior Officer Thomas checked a subject who stated he had caught mangrove snapper. Upon inspection of his catch, she located eight mangrove snapper. He stated he caught all eight. The allowed daily bag limit for mangrove snapper is five per person. As he had numerous prior resource misdemeanors, Officer Thomas issued him a citation for possession of over the bag limit of mangrove snapper.

Marion County

• While patrolling a local wildlife management area, Officers Lambert and Nall received reports of subjects illegally hunting/running dogs within the WMA. The officers were able to locate subjects with dogs on the ground equipped with tracking collars. Further investigation revealed the subject was training his dogs before hunting season, which is only allowed in the Pipeline Unit 14 days prior to the start of general gun season. Appropriate citations were issued.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Indian River County

• Officer Specialist Delano along with Officers St. Martin Pereles participated in Vero Beach Police Department’s 24^th Annual National Night Out. At this event the officers interacted with hundreds of members of their community and displayed an alligator for educational purposes. The officers answered questions from the public and handed out educational materials.
• Officer Specialist Delano participated in an outreach event at Oceans Night Church. He was there to introduce youth to the outdoors and discuss opportunities for how they can become involved in conservation. Officer Delano brought an FWC airboat and an alligator to display and educate. 

Marion County

• Senior Officer Weber (public information officer) and Kristen Turner (Northeast Region public information director) conducted an outreach event at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the Florida 101 Program. Approximately 50 people were present, all of which were new Florida residents. Officer Weber and Ms. Turner explained how to live with wildlife and prevent wildlife conflicts and provided information about the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP), different types of snakes, bears and the laws pertaining to each.

CASES

Lee County

• While on patrol, Officer Hardgrove conducted a fisheries inspection on three subjects returning from fishing. When asked if they had caught any fish, the subjects said the fishing wasn’t very good. During the inspection, one of the subjects showed Officer Hardgrove two legal sized spotted seatrout but intentionally kept the cooler away from him so he couldn’t see inside it. Officer Hardgrove had the subject give him the cooler and inside it were 10 spotted seatrout and one mangrove snapper. Six of the trout were undersized. When questioning the subjects, all three claimed they caught the same legal-sized trout and would not take responsibility for the undersized or over-the-bag limit violations. All three subjects were charged with over the bag limit and possession of undersized spotted seatrout.

CASES

Broward County

• Officers Comartin, Favrot and Lieutenant Ryan were on patrol when they observed a vehicle exiting Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area and conducted a resource inspection. The driver said he had been fishing all day but had not caught anything. Officer Comartin inspected two coolers in the truck bed and found unidentifiable meat. The subject claimed the meat was fish, then claimed it was old deer meat he was using for bait. The officers continued the resource inspection, finding a quartered deer hidden in the back of a built-in pull-out drawer. Officer Favrot later tracked the subject’s vehicle path in the management area, found the kill site and the illegally taken antlerless deer carcass. The subject was issued multiple citations. 
• Officer Constance was on patrol in STA 3/4 during a statewide alligator hunt. He observed a vehicle that was working a spotlight in the canal and marsh. The vehicle was stopped, and the subjects were found to be almost three miles outside of their designated hunt area at STA 3/4 East. The subject was issued a citation for the violation.
• Officer Constance was on patrol in Holey Land Wildlife Management Area when he observed a spotlight being shined into the management area from a moving vehicle. He conducted a stop on the vehicle and observed a rifle on the driver's lap. The subject was charged with attempting to take deer at night with gun and light. 

Okeechobee County

• Officer Allen and Officer Payne checked 27 hunters on a pay-to-hunt dove field and issued six warnings and one citation. The violations included taking dove with unplugged shotguns, failure to maintain possession of migratory gamebirds, hunting doves without a migratory bird permit and failure to display a hunting license. After the officers checked the hunters, the field was inspected for bait. During the inspection, the officers located what appeared to be sorghum seeds on one side of the field. After further inspection it was found that there were no mature sorghum plants in the field. The landowner was questioned and ultimately issued a notice to appear in court for the baited field. 
• Officer Allen received a complaint from a hunter about a utility task vehicle being operated in the Yates Marsh Unit of the Kissimmee River Public Use Area. Upon arriving, Officer Allen observed four subjects operating a UTV near the front gate of the Yates Marsh PUA.  After questioning witnesses and the subjects, it was found they did not have a valid permit to access the PUA and they had been operating the UTV inside the PUA. The operator received a notice to appear in court for operating the UTV in the PUA. 

CASES

Monroe County

• Officer John Sturgeon was on patrol at the Long Key bridge when he observed a subject fishing on the bridge. A marine fisheries inspection revealed two undersized lane snapper and two undersized yellowtail snapper. The subject also had a cut up tail of a yellowtail snapper. The subject stated he was planning on using them for bait. The subject was issued a mandatory notice to appear for the three violations.
• Officer John Sturgeon was on patrol at the Boca Chica bridge when he observed subjects fishing on the seawall. When asked, the subject stated they didn’t have any fish. He asked the subject what was in the bag on the ground and the subject stated just shrimp. After Officer Sturgeon removed the shrimp, the subject had one undersized and scaled black grouper and one undersized yellowtail snapper. The subject also stated there were no fish in his truck. An inspection of his truck revealed an additional two undersized mangrove snapper. The subjects were issued mandatory notices to appear.

FWC Division of Law Enforcement Regions