ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION POLICE ON PATROL
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State.
In 2025, DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement fielded an estimated 101,169 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 35,575 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 15,673 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.
“DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators enforce New York’s Environmental Conservation Law to ensure the protection of public safety and our vast natural resources, including air, water, wildlife, and New York’s one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “This highly specialized and rewarding work is instrumental to upholding our stringent laws and making the great outdoors safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
Unlawful Dumping – Westchester County
On September 18, ECOs Franz, Malone, and Schuck responded to an anonymous complaint regarding contaminated fill being dumped at a residence in the Town of Harrison. The Officers arrived at the location and observed two tri-axle trucks dumping fill material containing construction and demolition debris consisting of bricks, asphalt, plastic, and dimensional lumber. ECOs further investigated the site and discovered additional historic contaminated fill containing similar materials. They interviewed the drivers of the trucks and determined the unlawful fill material originated from the City of Yonkers. ECOs ticketed the associated companies and individuals involved with the unlawful disposal of solid waste, operating an unregistered solid waste management facility, transporting solid waste without registration, and other waste transporter violations, returnable to Harrison Town Court.
ECOs investigate an illegal dump site in Westchester County
Pesticide Enforcement – Orange County
On September 25, ECOs Malone and Schuck conducted a pesticides enforcement detail in the Village of Goshen. During the patrol, Officers ticketed a landscaper with a backpack sprayer for operating an unregistered business and use of pesticides not in its original container as required. The tickets are returnable to the Village of Goshen Court. Potential health risks exist with the application of pesticides which drive DEC’s commitment to enforce these regulations.
Youth Pheasant Hunt – Putnam County
On September 26, ECOs Franz, Schuck, and local volunteer mentors participated in a weekend youth pheasant hunt in Putnam County. Eight young hunters headed afield in pursuit of the upland game birds and all of them had successful harvests with help from the Officers and their hunting mentors and dogs, despite windy and rainy conditions that weekend.
ECOs participate in youth pheasant hunt in Putnam County
ECOs participate in weekend youth pheasant hunt in Putnam County
Illegal Disposal – Westchester County
On September 28, ECO Franz responded to a call from the New Rochelle Police Department about two individuals who stole used cooking oil and transported it in a van. ECOs Franz and Shuck responded to the location where the van was spotted and observed two containers in the back of the vehicle with approximately 550 gallons of used cooking oil inside. The Officers also observed a significant amount of used oil discharged from the van to the ground. The Officers issued tickets to the driver and passenger for offenses including unlawful disposal of solid waste and depositing a noisome and unwholesome substance on a public highway, returnable to New Rochelle City Court. Additionally, the driver of the van had a warrant out of New Jersey and was taken into custody by New Rochelle Police awaiting extradition. The van was impounded.
Oil container discovered in the back of a van in Westchester County
Entangled Deer – Suffolk County
On September 29, ECO DeRose responded to a residence in East Islip regarding a report of a deer stuck in the yard. ECO DeRose arrived and observed a buck with a hammock wrapped tightly around one of its antlers and tangled in the vines of a tree. The deer was struggling to free itself and running around the tree, pulling the vines as far as they could go. Officer DeRose feared that cutting the hammock or the vines it was connected to would cause the deer to escape with the large obstruction still covering its face, so he used a pole saw to carefully and quickly remove a large portion of the deer’s right antlers. Once free, the deer was exhausted but ran off into a wooded area near the residence, seemingly unharmed.
Deer entangled in a hammock at a residence in Suffolk County
Deer after being freed from being entangled in a hammock at a residence in Suffolk County
Swift Water Rescue Training – Ulster County
On October 1, ECOs on DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement’s Flood Incident Response Strike Team conducted swift water training on Rondout Creek in Ulster County. Officers participated in inflatable rescue boat operations and victim recovery, shoreline search techniques, litter rigging, anchor building, and high-angle rope systems. Routine local training ensures team members remain prepared for flooding events or swift water emergency responses throughout the state.
ECOs participate in swift water rescue training on Rondout Creek in Ulster County
ECOs participate in rope training during swift water rescue training in Ulster County
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Workshop – Warren County
On October 4, Lieutenant Smith assisted with instructing a Hunter Education Course at a “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” fall workshop hosted by the Silver Bay YMCA Conference and Family Retreat Center in Warren County. Lieutenant Smith covered topics including safe firearm handling and obstruction crossing, hunting ethics and wildlife conservation, hunting laws and regulations, and tree stand safety. “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) and Beyond BOW” are programs designed to teach women outdoor skills through information, encouragement, and hands-on instruction in activities such as fishing, shooting, archery, hunting, trapping, outdoor photography, map and compass, survival, camping, canoeing, and outdoor cooking.
Lieutenant Smith participates in “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” fall workshop in Warren County
Illegal Sale of Marmoset – Erie County
On October 8, DEC Division of Law Enforcement Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigators responded to numerous reports of an individual in the City of Buffalo illegally offering a marmoset for sale. Investigators first verified with DEC Special Licenses that the subject did not have permits to possess the animal and then conducted an undercover operation where plainclothes Officers met with the individual and agreed to purchase the marmoset for $7,000. Investigators charged the subject with the illegal commercialization of wildlife, a class E felony, following the sale. The marmoset was transferred to a licensed primate sanctuary to receive appropriate care. Charges are returnable to the City of Buffalo Court.
Marmoset illegally offered for sale confiscated in the City of Buffalo, Erie County
Statewide Fishing Compliance Checks – Bronx, Kings, New York, Westchester Counties
ECOs statewide conducted fishing compliance checks in recent weeks that resulted in tickets for offenses including catching too early, too late, and too much. Here are some of the more notable cases:
- ECO Baldwin recently responded to a complaint from a jogger on his day off regarding an individual fishing the East River under the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan with more fishing lines than allowed and keeping every fish. Officer Baldwin arrived at the location just in time to observe the angler catching another fish. During his investigation, ECO Baldwin discovered 30 oyster toadfish in two plastic bags. The daily bag limit is three and nearly all the fish were undersized. Officer Baldwin instructed the subject to reel in all seven of his fishing lines and ticketed him for taking over the limit of oyster toadfish, taking undersized fish, and fishing with too many lines, returnable to New York County Court.
- On September 18, ECOs Cobb and Toomey observed an individual fishing from a distance in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx and approached the angler for a license check. The subject initially denied fishing when the Officers approached, but the ECOs observed a Styrofoam container nearby containing an eel and 38 bluefish (snappers), 33 more than the five fish possession limit for snappers. The angler received a ticket for possession over the daily limit, returnable to Bronx County Court, and the 33 snappers were confiscated.
- On September 20, ECOs Franz, Sanner, and Schuck observed an angler fishing in Harbor Island Park in the Village of Mamaroneck using three poles and a handline to catch and keep what appeared to be bluefish (snappers). The Officers conducted a compliance check and discovered that the individual possessed 20 snappers and no marine registry as required. The ECOs directed the individual to the DEC website to learn more about recreational saltwater fishing regulations, including how to acquire a free marine registry, and ticketed the angler for possessing 15 snappers over the allowable daily limit, fishing without a marine registry, and take by means other than angling, returnable to Village of Mamaroneck Court. The fish were returned to the water for the benefit of local wildlife.
- On October 3, ECO Brown requested assistance from DEC Division of Law Enforcement Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) drone pilots, ECO Noyes and Investigator Krueger, to patrol areas surrounding the Salmon River in Oswego County which draws thousands of anglers from across the state and country each year to catch salmon during the annual spawning run. It is illegal to fish for salmon a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise, but that’s often prime time for poachers. During their patrol, the Officers responded to several complaints of individuals fishing after hours and issued a total of nine tickets to six anglers for fishing after hours. Two individuals received additional tickets for fishing without a license and unlawfully using treble hooks to take fish. The drones were especially helpful in monitoring illegal activities in the dark using night imaging and covering extra ground in wooded areas. All tickets were returnable to the Town of Albion Court.
- On October 10, ECOs Cobb, Zapata, and Zinzow joined ECOs Broughton and Noble from DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement Marine Enforcement Unit on a morning boat patrol near Erie Basin Pier in Kings County. During the patrol, the Officers observed two individuals in possession of 40 tautogs. Tautog season in Kings County runs from October 15 to December 22. The Officers ticketed both subjects for taking fish out of season. The case is pending in Kings County Court.
ECO Cobb with snappers illegally caught in Bronx County
Snappers caught illegally in Westchester County
Drone footage of illegal fishing activity along the Salmon River in Oswego County
ECOs Zapata (left), Zinzow (middle), and Cobb (right) with tautogs illegally caught in Kings County
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