Important Update: Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report Discontinuation
We want to inform you the Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report will be discontinued, with the final issue being distributed by March 5. To continue receiving updates about significant FWC law enforcement cases, we encourage you to subscribe to the News - Law Enforcement email list (under the "Law Enforcement" category).
Additionally, we are working on expanding how FWC law enforcement news and information is shared, with plans for updates on other platforms in the near future.
Thank you for staying connected!
 CASES
Santa Rosa County
- Officer Mullins responded to a call regarding trespassing and illegal dumping of deer carcasses. Officers Mullins and Hansard met with the subject and discovered that two of the three deer that had been dumped were antlered deer that did not meet antler point regulations. The subject also failed to log his harvested deer. The subject was issued several citations and warnings.
- Officers Hansard and Mullins were checking hunters late in the morning in the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. The officers encountered a subject field dressing a deer and conducted a resource inspection. The subject shot an antlerless deer and provided an antlerless deer permit. Upon further investigation it was discovered the subject did not harvest the deer from the correct section of the forest stipulated in the permit. The subject was issued the appropriate citation.
 CASES
Brevard County
- Officer Specialist Delano and K-9 Senior Officer Platt conducted surveillance based on information received about poaching activity in a state park. Officer Delano staged within the state park where violators were known to enter and exit. He heard and then observed a hunting dog with Garmin tracking collar running past his location, then heard voices getting closer. Moments later Officer Delano observed and identified the subjects along with three hog hunting dogs that displayed evidence they had been pursuing wild hogs. The dogs had GPS tracking collars and the subjects had GPS handheld devices around their necks. Officer Delano contacted the subjects who attempted to lie at first but ultimately admitted to hog hunting within the state park and knowing they were not allowed to hunt there. The two subjects were cited accordingly.
- Officer Marshall was on night patrol and targeting illegal take of snook when he conducted a resource inspection on a vessel returning from fishing. The subjects confirmed they were targeting snook and harvested a keeper. During the inspection Officer Marshall saw an oversized snook and cited the subject accordingly.
Indian River County
- Officer Marshall was on patrol late at when he conducted a resource inspection on a vessel returning from fishing. The officer observed a large quantity of snapper species, including undersized mutton snapper. Officer Marshall investigated further and noticed the subject had prior FWC violations. The subject was cited accordingly for the undersized mutton snapper.
- Officer Ross was patrolling Sebastian Inlet State Park during a bluefish run when he observed a vessel with no registration numbers moored at the boat ramp. The officer conducted a vessel stop and observed the subject also did not have any required safety equipment. The subject’s RV was parked nearby and Officer Ross observed several fishing rods and located two coolers, which contained 33 bluefish (30 bluefish over the limit) with 20 of them being undersized. Appropriate law enforcement action was taken.
- Officer Specialist Mock responded to a single engine airplane crash on a ranch along State Road 60. The pilot, who was injured, was transported to Lockwood Hospital for treatment. The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
Brevard County
- K-9 Senior Officer Platt, K-9 Bolo, and Officer Specialists Klobuchar and Delano attended the T.M. Goodwin Youth Waterfowl Hunt. The youth participants learned about hunting safely and conservation and enjoyed meeting and learning from the officers and K-9 Bolo.
 CASES
Broward County
- Officers Comartin and Rigali conducted a marine fisheries inspection on a dive boat offshore of the Deerfield Pier. With information gathered during the inspection, one individual was placed under arrest for possession of over the bag limit of spiny lobster and interference with an FWC officer. The individual was transported to the county jail.
- Officers Cusick and Bovee conducted a stop on a vessel in Port Everglades for violating the boating safety zone. They conducted a boating safety and marine fisheries inspection. Pursuant to the stop and the inspections, one individual was issued several notices to appear for possession of dead marine life.
- Officers Cusick, Rigali, Comartin, and Bovee conducted a marine resource inspection on the Intracoastal Waterway near the Port Everglades Inlet. Pursuant to the inspection an individual was issued notices to appear for possession of out-of-season grouper, undersized yellowtail snapper and undersized gray triggerfish.
- Officers Cusick, Bovee and Rigali stopped a personal watercraft for violation of the boating safety zone in Port Everglades. The operator was placed under arrest and transported to the county jail pursuant to an active warrant out of Broward County.
- Officers Palacios and McCollin-Davis stopped a vessel with fishing equipment at the Port Everglades inlet to conduct a marine fisheries inspection. One of the subjects on board was found to be in possession of a dead porkfish in a cooler. Porkfish are a marine life species and are required to be kept alive in a circulating live well. The subject was issued a citation for the violation.
- Officer Giani conducted a vessel stop on an inbound vessel near Hillsboro Inlet. One subject on board was found in possession of an undersized and out-of-season red grouper and an undersized mutton snapper. He was issued citations for the violations.
- Officer Rogers, Officer Moss, and Officer Schroer were on water patrol in federal waters when they observed a vessel with multiple fishing rods inside of the St. Lucie Humps Marine Protected Area. They conducted a fisheries inspection on the vessel and discovered an undersized king mackerel and trigger fish. The captain was issued a federal citation for bottom fishing in the St. Lucie Humps MPA and a warning for the king mackerel.
- Officers Lopez and Comartin and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper responded to a call for assistance from the Broward Sheriff’s Office in reference to an alligator blocking a doorway of a business. The alligator was successfully removed.
- Officers Rigali and Cusick responded by patrol vessel to Port Everglades in refence to a dead manatee. They arrived in the port and found an approximately 4-foot-long dead manatee and transported it to shore. An FWC biologist took possession of it and will perform a necropsy.
- Officers Bovee and Comartin responded by patrol vessel to the vicinity of the Riverland boat ramp and the New River in reference to a dead manatee. They arrived and found an approximately 6-foot-long dead manatee in the river. They took the manatee to the local boat ramp. An FWC biologist took possession of it and will be performing a necropsy.
Martin County
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Officer Soos and FWC Lt. Brodbeck responded to the north end of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge in response to complaints of people illegally camping and trespassing in the refuge after hours. They hiked to the location and identified four tents but no subjects. After an hour, contact was made with six individuals (one adult and five minors). USFWS Officer Soos and Lt. Brodbeck escorted the group to the parking lot after ensuring all trash and equipment was picked up and the adult was issued a federal citation for illegal camping.
 CASES
Monroe County
- Officer Sargent observed a subject operating a scooter on North Roosevelt. The officer recognized the subject as an individual with three active warrants and a suspended license. Officer Sargent initiated a traffic stop, arrested the subject in Key West and charged the subject for driving while license suspended (second offense), failing to comply with uniform boating citations, and three active warrants were affected.
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