|
November 1, 2024, through November 7, 2024
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.
|
|
 CASES
Walton County
- Senior Officer H. Rockwell received information about an individual allegedly killing an alligator. The information received pertained to a subject who had removed an alligator from a pond behind a storage facility. Officer Rockwell located the subject, who was processing the illegally killed alligator. The subject admitted to killing the alligator and was cited for taking it without a permit.
 CASES
Columbia County
- Senior Officer Bryan responded to information about night hunting and other violations at the Osceola National Forest. He observed a vehicle exit from a closed road and display an offroad, auxiliary light to illuminate an area where deer are commonly found. He also observed the vehicle did not have brake lights, tail lights, a tag light or a tag. The officer initiated a stop and found the vehicle to be driven by a juvenile, whose father was in the passenger seat with three loaded firearms capable of taking deer. The father was arrested and charged with numerous violations.
Dixie County
- Lieutenant Ward and Officer Hilliard were on patrol in Log Landing Wildlife Management Area when they encountered several subjects with a harvested wild hog. During this time, the WMA was open only to archery equipment. Two subjects were in possession of modern rifles and had taken the wild hog with a rifle. Appropriate citations were issued for the violation.
Taylor County
- Officer Anderson conducted vessel safety and resource inspections on anglers returning to the Econfina River State Park boat ramp. Officer Anderson located several spotted seatrout that were over the legal size. The operator was issued citations for possession of four oversized spotted seatrout and a warning for possession of undersized spotted seatrout along with several warnings for vessel safety violations.
- Officer Williamson received information about an illegal deer that had been shot. Williamson gathered all the information and located the subject who shot the deer. After a brief interview, the subject was cited for taking an antlerless deer during the closed season.
 CASES
Brevard County
- Lieutenant Lightsey responded to information that a group was shooting a firearm from an airboat. He located the airboat and conducted a resource inspection. The subjects were found to be in possession of one alligator. After investigating and speaking with the subjects, one of them admitted to shooting the alligator with a pistol and knowing that it was not legal to do so. A notice to appear was issued for take of alligator by illegal method.
- Officer St. Martin observed several people fishing from a vessel at Sebastian Inlet State Park. From a concealed location, the officer witnessed one of them catch a snook, take a photo with it, and then put it in a cooler. Officer St. Martin then witnessed the same subject catch a second snook, take a photo with it, and put it in the same cooler. This second snook placed the subject over his daily bag limit of snook. The officer contacted the subject to conduct a resource inspection when the vessel returned to the boat ramp. Initially, the other subjects on the vessel took credit for the other snook but after a brief interview the individual who caught both snook confessed. The subject was cited accordingly.
Lake County
- Officers worked together to target illegal night hunting in Ocala Wildlife Management Area. Officer Derse (pilot) and Officer Constance were patrolling by aircraft when they observed a vehicle shining multiple lights from a vehicle as they traveled through the management area. Officers Tuckfield, Lambert, and Aultman who were patrolling on the ground, were given the location of the vehicle. They located the vehicle and observed lights shining from the driver and passenger side of the vehicle, illuminating a location where deer are known to be present. Officers conducted a vehicle stop and contacted the three occupants. During the investigation, officers located a loaded rifle equipped with a thermal scope inside the vehicle. Officers Tuckfield and Aultman issued two of the occupants notice to appear citations for attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light.
Orange County
- Officer Hawks responded with Lieutenant Mendelson to a residence where an American alligator was allegedly being kept inside the home. Upon arrival, the officers were given permission to enter the home where they observed a small container with an American alligator inside. Officer Hawks interviewed the household’s occupants. Charges were filed with the Orange County State Attorney’s Office on multiple individuals for possession of an American alligator from the wild and captive wildlife specific regulations.
Seminole County
- Lieutenant Mendelson responded to information from a local landowner about an antlerless deer that was poached on a bordering property with the subject leaving the carcass. Officer Specialist Fahnestock, Officer Hawks, Senior K-9 Officer Platt and K-9 Officer Hocker also responded to the location. K-9 Officer Hocker and K-9 Cooper ran a track from the reported location of the poached deer. K-9 Cooper located the poached deer, which was stashed in the palmettos a long distance away. The deer being hidden in the palmettos indicated an attempt to hide it and leave it to waste. The deer had an entry wound consistent with being shot in the neck by a large caliber round. Senior K-9 Officer Platt and K-9 Bolo ran a track and followed sign that led to the individual’s residence. The investigation led to charges for taking antlerless deer during the closed season and willful/wanton waste of game.
- Officer Hawks responded to information about an individual hunting on St. John’s River Water Management District property near Lake Jesup. Officer Hawks spoke with individuals who provided pictures of the subject. The officer identified the subject using local resources and interviewed the subject. K-9 Officer Hocker and K-9 Cooper responded to run a track and locate any evidence at the incident location. Officer Hawks later located the .22 hornet firearm that was used while the subject was hunting illegally on the property. Charges were filed with the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office for hunting on water management district lands without permission and being on the water management district property while the properties were closed due to hurricane effects.
Volusia County
- While on patrol near Turnbill Bay Road, Officer Velez observed subjects fishing near the railroad bridge. Office Velez stopped to contact the subjects, who saw Officer Velez arrive and attempted to leave. A resource investigation was conducted and revealed multiple violations. Officers Rasey and Grant arrived on scene. It was discovered there were several undersized sheepshead, undersized gray snapper, and illegally harvested oysters in the back of a truck. All the violations were addressed appropriately.
- Officers Rasey and Velez stopped a fishing vessel near North Causeway in New Smyrna Beach. After conducting a resource investigation, it was determined that two snook were illegally harvested (one oversized and one taken without a snook permit). One of the subjects explained he did not use a proper measuring device. Citations were issued for the snook violations. Navigational lights, saltwater license and boater safety ID card violations were also addressed.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
Brevard County
- Officer Mock represented the FWC as a lane judge for a National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) tournament held in Melbourne. Twenty archers competed in the middle and high school archery program. FWC is the lead agency for NASP in Florida.
  CASES
Charlotte County
- Lieutenant Ruggiero and Officer Salem responded to information about several subjects possibly trespassing and carrying firearms on private property located within a management area. The officers followed sign back to a private location where they found a vehicle parked. The officers could hear voices in the woods and located the subjects who were armed. The subjects admitted they had been on the property shooting and were looking for wild hogs. Further investigation revealed one of the subjects was related to the person who owns the property so the property owner did not want to prosecute for the armed trespass. The subjects were issued four warnings for violation of a FWC permit condition.
Hillsborough County
- Officer McCormack conducted a vessel stop late in the evening for a vessel violating an idle speed zone around the Courtney Campbell Causeway. During the stop, Officer McCormack noted the vessel owner/operator was having to walk on top of mullet, jack crevalle, mojarra, and catfish to move around his vessel. At the completion of the vessel safety and resource inspection, the operator was found to have multiple vessel violations, was over the bag limit for mullet (73 mullets onboard), and was fishing while his fishing license status was “do not sell/Revoked.” Moreover, the subject was on probation for other Florida Wildlife violations. Officer McCormack issued numerous resource citations and written warnings.
- While on patrol on the Tampa Bypass Canal, Senior Officer Stuart Messman observed five subjects fishing with a cast net on a CSX railroad bridge and one of the subjects walked to a bucket. Upon inspection, Officer Messman found an undersized snook and multiple freshwater gamefish. The only fishing device located was a cast net, so all the fish were taken by illegal method. Upon inspecting the cast net, Officer Messman discovered the net had mesh that stretched to greater than one inch. During an interview, the subject admitted to catching all the fish and possessing the cast net. The appropriate law enforcement action was taken for possession of undersized and out-of-season snook, illegal method for harvest of snook, illegal simultaneous possession of a cast net with freshwater game fish, and no fishing license.
- Lieutenant Paul Burks was on patrol when a reckless driver passed interstate traffic that was stopped by going onto the left shoulder and speeding through. Lt. Burks conducted a traffic stop and upon checking the driver and vehicle tag for wants/warrants, discovered the subject was driving on a revoked license. He also discovered the tag did not belong to the vehicle. The driver admitted to putting an old tag on the vehicle to drive it home from the dealership he worked at. Appropriate law enforcement action was taken.
Manatee County
- Officer Specialist Klobuchar conducted a resource inspection on two individuals fishing at the South Skyway Relief Bridge area. During an interview, a subject admitted he was the responsible party for the possession of one goliath grouper, one gag grouper, and one gray (mangrove) snapper. All three were undersized, the goliath grouper cannot be possessed, and the gag grouper was also out-of-season. Appropriate law enforcement action was taken.
 CASES
Miami-Dade County
- Officer Williams conducted a vessel stop on a personal watercraft. Upon further investigation she found the PWC was rented from a livery. Officer Williams conducted an inspection with the livery owner and found violations. The owner of the livery was cited for the violations.
Monroe County
- Investigator Chris Mattson was on state water patrol in an unmarked patrol vessel in Islamorada when he observed several commercial stone crab traps in the middle of the marked channel. After identifying the trap owner, Investigator Mattson phoned the commercial fisherman, who agreed to meet with Investigator Mattson the following day. Investigator Mattson issued citations for having commercial stone crab traps in the marked channel.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
Miami-Dade County
- Officer Washington and Officer Reynaud participated in an externship program with seniors from a local high school. Selected students had the opportunity to visit the Miami Regional Office, where they explored the mission of the FWC and gained insight into each of its divisions. These students are aspiring to pursue careers that align with FWC’s mission—or even envision future roles within the agency itself.
|
|
|
|
|
