October 13 through October 19, 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.

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CASES

Bay County

• Officer N. Basford and Officer Gore were on patrol when they heard shooting coming from a field where dove hunting takes place. They entered the area and conducted resource inspections on hunters. Two subjects were sitting together hunting. During the inspection, they were found to be in possession of eight doves over the bag limit. The individuals were issued citations for over the bag limit of dove.
• Officer Alsobrooks was checking anglers at a local marina and observed two subjects place a cooler in a vehicle. He conducted a resource inspection and found the subjects to be in possession of seven undersized flounder. Both individuals were issued a citation.
• Officers Alsobrooks and Jarrell responded to the city pier for a fisheries violation. Once on scene, they reviewed security camera footage and identified and contacted three individuals. During the resource inspection, officers discovered all three were over the limit of Spanish mackerel. One person was eight fish over the limit and the other two were 10 fish over the limit. All three individuals were issued a citation for over the bag limit of Spanish mackerel. 

Okaloosa County

• Officers Valdez and Burkhead were on patrol near Destin Harbor when they observed a vessel docked with fishing gear on board. Officer Valdez conducted a resource inspection and located a juvenile blue marlin on board the vessel. Officer Valdez measured the blue marlin and found it was less than half the legal-size limit of 99 inches. Officer Valdez interviewed the subject who caught the blue marlin and found he did not report the blue marlin to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as required for that species of bill fish. Officer Valdez wrote the individual a notice to appear citation for the undersized blue marlin and a written warning for failure to report the blue marlin.

Santa Rosa County

• Officers Valdez and Burkhead received a complaint from an employee of Blackwater State Park regarding an individual who had been trespassed from all state park property. The employee advised the subject has periodically appeared on the property and left litter behind. The officers located the individual walking through a parking lot on state park property. They reviewed the subject’s information and found the trespass warning was still active. The officers placed the subject under arrest for trespass after warning and transported him to the Santa Rosa County Jail for booking. 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

• Officer Jackson assisted the Division of Hunting and Game Management with a display booth at the Munson Heritage Festival at Krul Lake. He visited with members of the public about the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and answered hunting and fishing questions. 

CASES

Brevard County

• Officer Specialist Balgo observed three individuals trespassing in a restricted area on Port Canaveral property. Officer Balgo was able to contact the three individuals and assisted the Sheriff’s Office on trespassing them. Officer Balgo also identified several boating and resource violations. The individuals were cited accordingly.

Marion County

• Area officers received a tip about a person who was possibly hunting inside a state park. Upon arriving at the location, they spotted a vehicle that matched the description provided by the caller. After a brief investigation, officers located a person in a treestand inside the state park who was wearing camouflage and holding a bow. The person admitted to hunting but claimed to be unaware they were on state park property. Appropriate citations were issued.

Orange County

• Officer McConnell responded to a residence in Orlando that was believed to be in possession of an American alligator. Officer McConnell identified a subject at the residence and started an investigation. The subject admitted there was an American alligator inside the garage at the residence and showed Officer McConnell. Throughout questioning, Officer McConnell identified another subject as the one responsible for possessing the alligator. The individual also admitted to taking the alligator from the wild. No one at the residence had a permit to possess the wild caught alligator. The violations were addressed accordingly.

Putnam County

• Officer Specialist Christmas was on land patrol at a local boat ramp when he observed a boat come in with fishing gear onboard. He approached to conduct a fisheries inspection. During the inspection, the subject admitted to harvesting two undersized red drum and said they were in the cooler. Officer Christmas issued a citation to the subject for harvesting undersized red drum.

Sumter County

Volusia County

• Officer Specialist Vanas and Officer Mancino responded to a report of two subjects violating several rules in a state forest. While on scene, the officers also discovered the subjects had been killing and eating wildlife in the campground. This state forest is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area and the take of wildlife during this time is prohibited. Both subjects were charged appropriately.
• During the fall months, the mullet run is known to bring predator fish closer to shore. While off duty, Officer Robinson noticed people throwing cast nets from the beach at night and had suspicions they might be harvesting fish by illegal method. He returned while on duty with Officer Specialist Thornton. They observed cars in the parking lot but did not see anyone on the beach. The officers followed tire sign in the sand from a rolling cooler and found a group of subjects cast netting. Upon making contact, one individual grabbed an illegal fish from their cart and began walking towards the water. The officers were able to stop the subject from discarding an undersized snook taken by illegal method and an undersized red drum. Officer Robinson issued citations accordingly.  
• Officer Specialist Thornton and Officer Robinson were patrolling the St. Johns River when they observed an airboat operating in a state park. Three subjects on the airboat were observed to have gear commonly used for hunting alligators readily accessible. A vessel stop was initiated to conduct a resource inspection. The subsequent inspection revealed a loaded bang stick and a harpoon attached to a restraining device. Based on the evidence and the subjects’ statements, Officers Thornton and Robinson developed probable cause the subjects were attempting to take alligators in the state park, and they were cited accordingly.
• Officer Specialist Thornton and Officer Robinson received information from a private landowner that trespassers were on his property and he had captured an image of a subject on his cellular trail camera. The trail camera photo was forwarded to the officers and depicted a subject dressed in camouflage  with a crossbow that was walking by the landowner’s game feeder. The officers used their knowledge of the area to locate a likely entry point to the property and upon their arrival, they found a vehicle and foot sign leading around the property’s locked gate. The officers continued to track the sign until they contacted the subject with the crossbow. The subject was under the influence of alcohol and failed to comply with the officers. He was placed under arrest and charged accordingly.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Brevard County

Officer Specialist Hallsten educated more than 40 young children about boating safety at their daycare center. Officer Hallsten brought an airboat and educational information. The children asked questions about being a wildlife officer and got to walk around and touch the airboat.

• Officer Beck, with the help of Officer Specialist Wigley and Lieutenant Eller, coordinated an outreach event in Satellite Beach that engaged attendees with public service members throughout their community. The officers talked to members of the public about hunting and fishing regulations and boating safety and answer questions about preventing wildlife conflicts. Officer Beck showcased the Northeast Region outreach trailer and brought an alligator for educational purposes.

Indian River County

• Officer Specialist Delano, with the help of numerous local officers, coordinated a partnership outreach with the Indian River County States Attorney’s Office. To continue building on the great relationships the FWC has with the State Attorney’s Office, FWC officers treated numerous state attorneys to an airboat ride through the marshes of Indian River County followed by a home cooked meal on the marsh. The attorneys got to see the vast and fluid environments that FWC officers patrol and discuss legal  questions concerning past cases. Overall, the attorneys that participated left with a greater understanding of the challenges officers face in the rugged environments they patrol every day.

CASES

Hillsborough County

• While on land patrol, Officer Sutton and Officer Specialist Rorer responded to a call from an FWC investigator about two cardinals in separate cages on a porch at a residence. The officers drove to the residence where they located the two cardinals and a mockingbird. The Officers attempted to contact the residents but nobody was home. A short time later, an individual arrived at the residence and the officers made contact to discuss the migratory bird violations. The individual admitted to catching the birds when they were young and had been keeping them as pets. Officer Sutton issued the individual a misdemeanor citation for the migratory bird violation and the birds were released back to the wild.

CASES

Hendry County

• Officer Riggs responded to a call referencing possible illegal hunting at Dinner Island Wildlife Management Area. When he arrived, he saw two hunters exiting the dove field. He approached and conducted a resource inspection that revealed the hunters were in possession of a blue-wing teal and black-bellied whistling duck. Both subjects were issued citations for hunting out of season. 

Palm Beach County

• Officer Webb responded to a call regarding illegal entry/exit into J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. Upon arrival, the officer observed the individual illegally exiting at a nondesignated exit from the WMA and get into a vehicle. Officer Webb stopped the vehicle as it began to drive away. Upon contact with the driver, Officer Webb detected signs of impairment and asked the driver to perform standardized field sobriety tasks. After the tasks were performed, Officer Webb arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. 
• Officer Sellers was patrolling Lake Ida when she observed a personal watercraft being operated by what appeared to be a juvenile. When the operator beached the PWC nearby, the officer approached and asked the operator if his family was nearby. At that time, the juvenile’s father approached and in talking to the father, Officer Selles determined the juvenile was 10 years old. She also discovered there were two other juveniles over the age of 16 who did not have a boating safety education identification card. Officer Sellers cited the adult for allowing a person under 14 years of age to operate a PWC. 
• Officer Michael Rea was on uniformed patrol when he stopped at Ocean Inlet Park in Boynton Beach to conduct fisheries inspections on a group of anglers at the end of the north jetty. Officer Rea noticed a juvenile at a cooler cutting up fish and asked him if they had caught anything. He said yes and that he was with two other people. Inside the cooler were 16 bluefish. Two other subjects came over to claim the bluefish, however, the bag limit is three bluefish per person so they were seven fish over the bag limit for three people. Next to the initial subjects, Officer Rea noticed another angler with his bucket and cooler containing numerous bluefish. Officer Rea conducted a fisheries inspection and found five bluefish, which was two over the bag limit. All subjects were cited accordingly. 
• Officer Michael Rea was on uniformed patrol at the Lake Worth Pier where he was conducting fisheries inspections. Officer Rea observed two subjects fishing and had a cooler filled to the top with many different fish species. As Officer Rea was sorting through the cooler, one subject kept trying to rush his inspection and exhibited signs of deception. One subject removed a bag that was separate from the other fish and attempted to hold it off to the side while Officer Rea conducted his inspection. Inside the bag he noticed what looked to be an undersized lane snapper. Further inspection revealed nine undersized lane snapper and an undersized yellowtail snapper. Officer Rea asked who the fish belonged to, and they said it was both of theirs. During the encounter, the subjects made comments that it was their first time, and they did not know, and that someone gave them the fish. Later they said they found the fish on the ground and put them in their cooler. A prior history check revealed both subjects had been previously cited for keeping undersized fish on the same pier. Two separate pier attendants also recognized them and said they fish the pier often.

FWC Division of Law Enforcement Regions